


Everything Grows Rounder and Wider

by AKnightOfWren



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Devoted Reylo, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Gen, Lactation Kink, M/M, Note the rating change, Rey is biologically a Kenobi, Reylo Baby, Smut, So fluffy I should have been a cat, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unexpected Pregnancy, Wren needs jesus, smut is coming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-07-28 06:47:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 60,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16236380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfWren/pseuds/AKnightOfWren
Summary: Rey had been left wanting for nothing in her life with Ben Solo. She has a good job, a devoted husband and the house with a picket fence that every girl dreams of. There is only one thing missing, and she may have just found it.*based on the quote by the wonderful late Carrie Fisher*





	1. Sweet Pea

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! Your resident fluff dealer is back to ruin your teeth further.  
> I've been writing this for a few weeks and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.  
> I want to thank the ladies of The Writing Den for all of your bits of information and allowing me to bug them at all times of day/night with my questions. I wanted to make this as realistic as possible, so I couldn't have done it without your help!
> 
> The chapters won't be too long, maybe 2,000 words each but I feel like they convey the scene I wanted them to. I'm not sure how many chapters there will be yet, but we'll see!
> 
> Dedicated to the ladies of House Dadam. <3

 

 

 

It was early March and Rey Solo was enjoying the first bit of _real_ warm weather of the year. It was something only someone that had moved from a warm country to a slightly cooler one could really appreciate.

She was sitting at the kitchen table sketching out a design for a mural that was hopefully going to be painted on the wall of a new children’s center, a commission that was requested by her mother in law, Senator Leia Organa. Rey had been a keen artist since she was a child and as she got older her talent began to flourish. In time she opened her own art studio with the money left to her by her grandfather in his will with the encouragement of her parents. She taught various classes ranging from arts, crafts and pottery classes and in her spare time she also took commissions that would benefit local charities.

 _‘Damn it’,_ she thought to herself as her graphite pencil snapped. ‘ _Where are my other pencils?’_

She sighed as she got up to rummage around in the kitchen drawers knowing there must be some somewhere, she was an artist for Christ’s sake. She usually had at least one box in every room. She got to the last drawer with no luck, wondering if Ben had moved them _again._ She loved her husband but he could never leave things where she put them.

She began to take everything out, trying to catch sight of her box of pencils. _Ah!_ she thought as her hand wrapped itself around a long box in the drawer, _‘found it!’_ She pulled the box out and her heart sank as her eyes fell onto it. There in her hand was a pregnancy test box, not the box of pencils she was expecting. She had forgot that was in here.

Rey and Ben had grown up together. Since the age of 8 when Rey had been adopted by the Solo’s close friends, Maz and Chewy Kanata, they had been inseparable. There had never really been a time in their lives since then that they _hadn’t_ been together, when she thought about it. As they grew older and their friendship slowly merged into a relationship it never really crossed either of their minds that their first, well, anything would be with anyone else but each other. They went through middle school together, to high school and then on to college, it was to no one's surprise when Ben finally proposed to the her on the day of their college graduation. After all, there was no Rey without Ben. They been married for just over two years and had started trying for a family less a month after the wedding. They moved from their small but comfortable one bedroom apartment to a three bedroom semi just outside of the city with the idea of creating a nursery. But with every month that passed came more and more negative tests, the bedroom they had planned to turn into the nursery remained empty and the couple almost resigned themselves to the possibility that it may not happen.

She gulped, debating on just throwing the test away. She wasn’t sure if she could stand anymore heartbreak at the sight of another negative test and the questions it would pose in her mind. She placed the box down on the side and tried to busy herself with the job of finding her pencils.

After checking the finding the box of pencils in her study, Rey sat back on her haunches and asked herself that even now she has found her pencils, what is the likelihood that she would be able to work with the knowledge of the test being nearby? _‘Not very high’_ she concluded.

 _‘Screw it’_ she thought as she dropped her pencils onto her desk and walked back through the house into the kitchen.

She grabbed the box and took it into the bathroom with her. She had taken enough of them over the past two years to know exactly what she needed to do. Once done, Rey placed it on the side and left the room to do what she did best; she waited.

What could have been 3 minutes or 3 hours later, her phone alarm rang out breaking the silence she had been sitting in. She breathed in deeply and walked back into the bathroom and over to the counter. She looked down at the stick, picked it up and looked down at it again. There in big, bold text was her answer. **Pregnant 3+**.

She backed away and sat down on the toilet, still staring at the used test in her hand. _‘I need to tell Ben,’_ she thought to herself before realising that it may be a bad idea until she’s absolutely positive. She couldn’t watch the disappointment appear in his face again. That was decided then, she put the test away in her desk drawer just in case her husband came home as he sometimes did for his lunch as she wanted to be the one to tell him and she left to get to the drug store.

 

* * *

 

Three hours later, Rey had used 4 of the 7 packs she had bought in the drug store. All 8 tests sat in front of her, telling her she was indeed pregnant. Rey was stunned. After so many long months and disappointing results, it had finally happened. She couldn’t wait to tell Ben, the feeling of excitement only on par with how she had felt on her wedding day was bubbling up in her stomach.

She had been planning this day since they had gotten married. She already knew exactly how she was going to tell Ben once he got home from work. She picked up all of the tests and placed them in a paper bag while she went to her study to begin work; she only had until 7pm to do what she needed to do and she couldn’t want to see his reaction.

Rey quickly went back to her study, again rummaging around in the cupboard. ‘ _Where was it? It should be here’,_ she thought to herself as she kept looking. Unless.. had she thrown it out thinking she wouldn’t use it? ‘ _No I couldn’t have, I wouldn’t have.’_ She answered her own question as her hands suddenly round the object she was looking for.

 _‘There it is!’_ She pulled out a beautiful plain wooden box, hinged with perfect gold catches on it. She smiled as she pictured the look on his face when he gets his present later on. Hopefully the afternoon would pass quickly enough, she was not sure how much longer she could hold it in.

 

* * *

 

“Hey,” Ben called as he put his keys in the bowl on the counter beside the front door, “I’m home!” He stopped and listened for his wife. “Rey, Sweetheart are you home?” He called again.

“I’m in the study, Ben,” she called back, “I’ll be out in a minute!”

Ben nodded and smiled to himself as he put his coat on the rack. It wasn’t unusual that his wife worked later than she should do when she got into a project. He knew the charity commissions were important to her so he never disturbed her.

He made his way to the kitchen and got himself a beer before loosening the tie around his neck and rolling up the sleeves of his work shirt and getting started on dinner. It had been a long day. Usually he was able to escape home for lunch to stop things getting monotonous but he wasn’t that lucky today.

It wasn’t long before he felt the much smaller arms of his wife wrap around his middle and her head lean against his back. “Hey you, how was your day?” He asked as he turned around to kiss her properly.

“It was.. productive. I got a lot done,” she offered thoughtfully.

He grinned taking in her paint covered appearance. “I can see that,” he told her as he pointed bits out to her.

“I’ll have you know It makes me look professional,” she bit back as jumped up onto the counter to watch him cook. “How was work?”

Instead of answering her he made the pained whine of a wounded animal and took a sip of his drink.

“Jeez, that bad?” She frowned with concern evident in her face.

He nodded in reply. “Had to work some new clients through their taxes before next month. They wanted the entire thing done today which just isn’t feasible.” He told her, rolling his eyes.

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I have a present to give you after dinner..” she trailed off. She didn’t trust herself not to give it away the minute she met his gaze.

Ben put the lid on the saucepan and instead went to stand between her legs. “You’ve got a present for me? Can I have it now?” His voice took on a low edge. She looked up and met his dark gaze burning all the more hotter as he smirked and ran his hands up her legs.

“Oh!” She squeaked embarrassingly, still unsure how the man affected her the way he does even after years of being together. “No that’s not the present” she told him, not missing the disappointment in his gaze. “But maybe later. You’ll like this present” she added with a wink and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I promise”

“Oh?” He asked questioningly. “Why will I?” He placed both hands on the counter on either side of her and pressed his forehead to her own.

“You’ll have to wait and see.” She told him firmly _‘I need to shut up or I’m going to tell him’_ she thought to herself. She left him with a kiss on his jaw and jumped down from the counter. “Let me help with dinner and you'll get it sooner. Deal?”

 

* * *

 

Once they had finished their food Rey almost dragged Ben into the lounge, making him sit on the plush armchair nearest to them. She handed Ben the now beautifully decorated wooden box, confusion evident on his pale face. “It still needs to be varnished to make sure the paint doesn’t scratch off.” she told him as he continued to look over the box.

The box was decorated to look like the night sky, with a bright crescent moon and shooting starts to line the top and sides. She could see he was trying his best to figure out what was inside to no avail. “It’s beautiful,” he told her with a small smile on his face.

“Open it” she urged him, unable to stop herself. She watched as he slowly opened it, his eyes first landed on the beautifully laid out calligraphy that Rey had written on the inside of the lid;

_Roses are Red_

_Violets are Blue_

_Inside of me_

_Beat two hearts for you_

  
_‘Ben. You are an amazing person and the one I’m proud to share my life with. In the past you’ve gone by many names. Friend. Boyfriend. Fiancé. Husband. Son. But there’s a new name in your future. One you will have 9 months to get used to.’_

This was followed by a pacifier stuck down inside the bottom of the box, along with the first two (of many) tests that Rey had used not 6 hours before confirming her pregnancy and finally his eyes landed on the word written in the same beautifully laid out script underneath the two objects;

 _Daddy_.

  
He was going to be a father. His Rey was carrying his child. He gently dropped the box onto the table with a clatter and stepped around it, making his way to his wife. 

“You’re pregnant?” He whispered, placing his hand on her stomach, a wide grin pasted on his face. “Truly?” He asked, eyes beginning to shine with emotion.  
  
She returned his grin with a watery smile and nodded. “Truly”, she told him, “I may have rushed to the drug store and bought the last 7 packs they had in stock just to be sure.” He laughed as she placed her hands over his, which were still covering her stomach for fear of the sudden beautiful news disappearing after so many months of heartbreak.  
  
He picked her up gently, arms resting under her bum instead of around her waist and twirled her around, not able to contain the joy his Rey of sunshine had given him. She leaned down and kissed him gently which he keenly reciprocated and deepened.  
  
He broke the kiss softly, mind brimming with unasked questions. He placed Rey back on her feet and sat down on the chair holding his arms out for her to join him.  
  
She settled on his lap and cuddled into him as he spoke. “How far along are we?” He asked curiously, he couldn’t wait to meet his child.  
  
“The tests all said 3+ so we won’t know for sure until our prenatal appointment” she answered, looking up at his face, “I think it’s about 6 weeks as I last took a test 7 weeks ago which was negative. I should be able to make an appointment with the doctor tomorrow.” She kissed him softly on his lips, her nose nuzzling against his own.  
  
Ben nodded, the news still not quite sinking in. They had wanted this day for so long with nothing but walls appearing in their way. Until now.

The walls in his mind melted away, which were replaced with Images flashed before his eyes of all the futures to come. Rey holding their child for the first time. Him holding their child’s hands as they took their first steps towards Rey, taking them to their first ball game or dance class, sneaking them a dessert when Rey’s back is turned and settling on the both of them sat beside their child, reading them stories into the night.

In that minute no more words were needed. No more reassurances or questions that needed answering. In that minute Ben held the most important parts of his world and everything was right.

 

 


	2. Raspberry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will he or she look like? Will they be strong willed and feisty like their mama? Or will they be gentle with a quiet strength like their daddy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I didn't expect the attention this would get. Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments both on and off of AO3!
> 
> I've got the first 4 chapters of this story bashed out so I will try to update and get back to your comments ASAP!

 

 

The night before their first scan was single handedly the most nervous Rey had ever been in her life.

It had been 2 weeks since the couple had found out Rey was carrying their child and in the days that followed they had seen their doctor who confirmed she was indeed pregnant and gave her a much needed check up, a prescription for the prenatal vitamins and all the information she would need during her pregnancy including how to register with the local OB/GYN and book an appointment for their first ultrasound.

In their excitement they had rushed home to do just that. Despite having her pregnancy confirmed Rey knew she wouldn’t be able to rest easily until she had that little person in her arms, but until then seeing them on a screen and hearing their little heartbeat would have to do.

But now, the night before, she’s full of worry. The what ifs were plaguing her thoughts so much she couldn’t get comfortable in bed. What if they couldn’t find a heartbeat? What if they found something was wrong with it? What if they never brought it home? It had only been two short weeks but she had already begun to love her baby with the whole of her heart and the thought of never meeting them almost broke it clear in two.

She turned to pick up her phone from the bedside table and checked the time; 2:17am. She couldn’t take laying there anymore, she needed to get up and occupy herself or she would only stress herself out which wasn’t good for the baby.

She carefully pried herself out of Ben's arms, pulling a pillow into her place and pulled her pyjama bottoms and a hoodie on and decided to go into the study and finish off a sketch.

She sat at her desk and pulled out her sketchbook and pencils. She smiled as she opened the box, knowing that if it wasn’t for her trying to find her missing box of pencils she may not have found the box of pregnancy tests and she wouldn’t have known.

 

* * *

 

She had been sketching for what felt like minutes when she felt the strong arms of her husband embracing her as his chin came to rest on her shoulder. She looked up at the clock, she had been sitting here for just under 2 hours.

She settled into his embrace and closed her eyes feeling relaxed for the first time that night.

“Couldn’t sleep?” He asked her gently, his chest rumbling. He knew how much she had been worrying about the scan. He had been alternating between excitement and worry without really knowing what to expect.

“No,” she sighed and looked up at him, her red rimmed eyes glaring at him in the darkness. “I keep thinking about the scan. About the what ifs. We have been waiting for this day for so long, what if something happens to them?” She lets out a sob as she breathes in. “My god Ben, if something happened to them would you blame me?”

“Rey, I could never blame you. I know that the minute you found out, you fell in love all over again. You would do anything to ensure their safety, wouldn’t you?” He asked her, reassurance flowing through his words. “And you have done everything in your power to give them the best chance haven't you?”

She nodded slowly and let out the breath she didn’t even know she had been holding. “I’m just so scared, Ben. What will we do if something happens?” She looks up at him with fear in her eyes.

“We will cross that bridge if we come to it,” He tells her softly. “I have faith in us. In you. And in them. Our baby is going to be perfect, you’ll see. Now, I think we need to sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day for us both and you’re sleeping for two now.” He gently kisses her on the lips and pulls her up out of her chair and leads her back to the bedroom.

There in his arms she finally fell into a comfortable sleep, dreaming of small children with dark hair and hazel eyes, with tiny hands and feet.

 

* * *

 

Rey sat on the examination table with Ben beside her stroking her hand, a comfortable silence filling the clinical room around them as they waited.

After managing some sleep she was much more relaxed than she had been the night before and now excitement filled her knowing she would soon be seeing the first glimpse of their child.

The silence was broken by the sound of heels clicking as someone walked along the corridor, stopping outside their room. There was a soft knock at the door and the door opened revealing a middle aged statuesque woman with bright purple hair, a kind smile gracing her face.

“Well,” the woman started as she closed the door behind her. “When I saw we had a Rey Solo here this morning for her first ultrasound I knew It couldn’t be a coincidence.” She said, her eyes flicking between the young couple. “It’s been a while. Ben, I bet your mother is thrilled with the news? I know she always wanted grandchildren” she added with a wink.

“She actually doesn’t know yet” he told Amilyn, his ears reddening. “We wanted to make sure..” he trailed off, looking towards his wife. All Rey could do was nod.

“Ah, yes. That’s understandable” she nodded in agreement. “Let's get started then shall we?”

 

* * *

 

The room was flooded with the thumping sound of a strong and steady heartbeat as the couple sat mesmerised watching the accompanying image of their child on the screen beside them.

“You have one very active, healthy baby” Amilyn told them with a blinding smile. “Everything is exactly as I would have expected it to be.” She pressed a few buttons on the console in front of her and addressed the couple again. “I would say you are eight weeks and.. three days, which gives you a due date of around the start of November.” She began to point out where each of the baby’s small limbs were on the screen.

Rey heard a small sniffle and looked over to Ben, his dark eyes glistening with unshed tears as his eyes met hers and he offered a small smile and a laugh as he wiped his eyes. She knew what the laughter was for. Solo men don’t cry. At least unless they’re getting married to the love of their life or seeing their unborn child for the first time that is.

Rey wiped her own eyes and turned back to Amilyn. “So everything is okay?” She asked, hope sounding in her voice.

“As I said, everything is exactly as I would have expected it to be.” She replied kindly, offering Rey a bundle of paper towels to clean herself off with. “I will schedule you in for another scan in 4 weeks.”

After printing off enough scan pictures for themselves and their parents, Amilyn left to get their keepsakes and to give the couple a few minutes to themselves.

Rey slowly dressed and composed herself while Ben sat looking through their pictures. She came to sit on the arm of his chair, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her head against his as she looked down at the pictures he held in his hands. The pictures that held endless possibilities

What will he or she look like? Will they be strong willed and feisty like their mama? Or will they be gentle with a quiet strength like their daddy?

They sat like that until Amilyn returned 10 minutes later with a bag clutched in one hand and an information pack in the other. She handed a small envelope to Ben for the scan photos to keep them safe and went through the information Rey that she may need before her next scan.

The couple left hand in hand with their moods feeling considerably lighter, feeling safe in the knowledge that their child was healthy and strong.

They decided on lunch at their favourite restaurant to celebrate, talking through plans for the coming months, the colour they’d like to paint the nursery and when to tell their friends and family.

“Alright,” Ben agrees, “we’ll wait another two weeks before we tell her. But you know my mother is going to kill us, if she finds out right?”

Rey snorts, putting her glass of water down on the table. “No, she’ll kill _you_ Ben. I’m carrying her grandchild remember?” She smirks.

“True. We may have to bargain with more, Sweetheart.” He winked across the table suggestively.

“Let’s get number one out first okay, Casanova? If we survive the first year then we’ll talk.” She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her water. “I've heard birth stories, you’ll be lucky if I ever let you see it again let alone-“

“Are you ready to order yet?” Came the sudden voice of their waitress, clearly having overheard their conversation judging by the wide grin across her face.

“Yes!” Squeaked Rey, a blush spreading across her cheeks.Thankful that she ordered her usual and didn’t have to think about it, she told the waitress “Could I have a lasagna, please?” She hands the menu back as Ben ordered his food.

Their food had soon been placed in front of them and they began to eat when an idea sprang to Rey’s mind. “Hey, Ben?” She asked.

“Mmm?” He mumbled over a mouth of spaghetti.

“You know I want to take as many photos during the pregnancy as possible? I think I know how we could tell them” she grinned as she told him her idea.

 

* * *

 

They had just finished eating when Ben noticed Rey was starting to take on a sickly pallor. He had no sooner began to ask if she was okay, when she rose from the table and ran in the direction of the toilets.

Her sudden departure brought a concerned waiter to the table. “Sir, is your wife alright?” She queried.

“Ah.. let me go and check on her” he bristled and quickly asked “Actually could you bring us a bottle of water?” He didn’t wait for an answer and instead followed her into the toilets, hoping no other women were inside.

“Sweetheart? Is everything okay?” He asked her through the door to her stall.

“Nuh-uh” she told him shortly before vomiting the remainder of her stomach into the bowl.

“Can you let me in?” He asked her, “please?” He asked again urgently hearing the sound of the lock slide back. He opened the door to find her sitting back on the floor with her head on her knees. “I don’t think the baby likes lasagna” she told him meekly. He knelt down beside her and rubbed her back

He chuckled lightly, because of course their child wouldn’t like it’s mother’s favourite meal.

The waitress that had taken their order gently pushed the door to the toilet open and held the bottle of water out to him. He took it with a small smile and passed it to Rey.

“Better?” He asked as he continued to rub soothing circles into her back.

“Much” she says. The colour had returned to her face and once she was sure she wasn’t going to have a repeat performance she moved away from the toilet and flushed.

“C’mon, let's move before an old lady called Susan faints at the scandalous sight of a man in the women’s toilet.” He grinned at the thought.

“Susan?” She questioned, wondering if she was missing something.

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, it was the first name I could think of.”

She shook her head and took his hand. “You’re not naming our baby.”

He placed a hand on his chest and gasped dramatically. “Hey I think I’d choose a pretty good name for our child thank you!” He told her with mock hurt. “But for what it’s worth, we’ll agree to disagree.”

She looked up at him, his attempts at making her feel better warming her. “You’re such a dork.”

“I’m your dork” he replied cheekily as they left the bathroom.

“That you are.” She confirmed. “Hey Ben?”

“Rey?” He replied.

“...can we get frozen yogurt?” She asked innocently

“Sure, Rey.” He responded as he called over the waitress for the check.


	3. Strawberry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so ridiculously therapeutic to write, I can't stop! I've finished the complete lay out, I'm expecting about 20 chapters here. Yes, complete fluff! Theres too little pure fluff stories with loads of chapters for my liking! 
> 
> Thank you to the lovely Bunilicious for betaing this chapter for me! 
> 
> Now, lets meet the grandparents to be.

 

 

 

“Rey, where do you want us standing?” Han asked, looking a little lost as Rey fiddled with her camera and tripod.

Two weeks after the scan they had decided that the day had at last come that they would reveal to their parents that they were going to be grandparents. The couple had gathered Han and Leia outside into the garden and put their plan into motion.

Rey smiled and directed Han to where she needed him. “Could you and Leia stand next to each other, Han? Maybe in front of the rose trellises? I will get the camera set up while Ben helps you with the signs.”

“Fine,” He said gruffly, “and we’re not allowed to look until you tell us to?”

Rey shook her head. “No, no looking at your sign. OR each other’s until after I take the photo.” She added pointedly as she saw her father in law open his mouth, knowing him well enough to realise exactly what he was about to ask. “The key to this is I want to capture your expression before and then the minute you see it, it’s a project about human emotions.”

“Right, I can do that” he agreed as Ben handed the blue Grandpa sign carefully to him and the pink Grandma sign to Leia with a smirk. “Hold on, why does she get a bigger sign than I do? I call favouritism” He grumbled at his son.

“Because Leia isn’t complaining or asking questions,” Rey told him with a wink. He found it highly amusing that his grump of a father could be bossed around by his stubborn wife. But then again, the man _was_ married to Leia after all. He directed Han to place his arm around Leia, his eyes softening at his parents. Ben may be a hard man towards most people but he would always have a soft spot for his parents.

Once positioned in the right way, he walked back over to Rey and stood patiently next to her, subtly holding his phone set to record and awaiting the moment his parents would find out they would be grandparents.

“Alright, smile for us!” Rey called as she snapped photos of the the two elders smiling before them  with no idea what their son and daughter in law had planned.

“Can we look now?” Leia asked impatiently, curious as to what was written on the board she was holding.

Rey turned to face her husband with a smile. “I don’t know, Ben, can they look now?” She asked innocently.

He smiled widely back, “I think they can. On the count of three.”

The countdown gives Rey time to get her camera ready to capture the moment of the reveal.

“1.. 2..” He paused teasingly “..3!” He shouted as Han and Leia turned the signs around to read them as Rey captured the moment the meaning of the signs registered on their faces.

“OH MY GOD!” Screamed Leia as she dropped the sign and covered her mouth with her now shaking hands. “ARE YOU PREGNANT?! You’re pregnant? Really?! Oh my fucking god!” She finished her question and burst into tears.

Rey nodded as tears flooded her own eyes. Leia and Han had been another set of parents to her for as long as her own parents had been in her life. It seemed that when it came to Rey, parents were like buses. You wait 8 years for some and then two sets come along at once. “Is that a good thing?” She laughed as she let go of the camera, Leia quickly approached her and engulfed her in a tight hug. “I am going to buy so many baby clothes,” Leia sobbed out with a chuckle.

Han was beside Leia, beaming at the two of them with pride. “I’m too young to be a grandpa” he grumbled in good natured humour as he released Ben from his bear hug and strode over to hug Rey when Leia had moved onto Ben.

“How far along are you?” She turned back to Rey and asked with a sniffle, patting her hand on her stomach gently.

“About 10 weeks. We’re due around the end of October” Rey told her with a warm smile. “They’re going to be a Halloween baby.”

“I can’t believe it, you’ve both made me so happy. You’re giving me a grandbaby ” Leia said quietly. “Do your parents know yet?” Leia asked Rey, “I need to tell someone. Anyone!” She cried with joy.

“Not yet, my parents are next. You and Han are officially the first to know.”

“Well, actually Aunt Amilyn is the first to know.” Ben spoke up, and seeing Leia's scathing look he quickly added on, “Completely coincidentally, she did the scan.” He told her, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

“Oh I must call her and ask for all the details!” Leia grinned.

“We will be going over to my parents this afternoon, if you’d like to come with us?” Rey offered, knowing Leia was keen to get started as soon as possible on her grandparent duties.

“Oh of course!” Leia exclaimed. “It’s been a while and I’m sure Han misses Chewie. Will you be telling them the same way?”

“Yes,” Rey tells her warmly, “we liked the idea of having these photos to show the baby when they are old enough. But please don’t tell my parents anything!” She begged.

“I wouldn’t dream of it dear, this is your news to share,” Leia agreed and patted her arm. “I will just have to wait. We should probably clue Han in though, we both know the nerfherder can’t keep his mouth shut when he’s excited,” she added with a wink as she strolled over to speak to her husband.

Ben returned to her side, putting his arm around her and kissing her forehead gently. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so happy,” he whispered to her as he watched his parents embrace.

“They’re going to be perfect grandparents,” she told him as she leaned into him. “We have one lucky little baby.”

“We do,” he agreed. “Now let’s go and share the good news with your parents.”

 

* * *

 

Maz squealed as she threw her arms around her daughter’s neck. Ben and Rey had just announced the news to Maz and Chewy in the same fashion they had used for Leia and Han.

“My baby’s having a baby!” Maz cried as she waved her hands around and squealed in excitement. “How long have you known?” Maz asked gently as Chewy wrapped his daughter in his strong but gentle embrace, for a man of so few words this captured his emotions perfectly. Leia and Han stood by watching the scene with interest.

The couple smiled sheepishly, knowing their mothers were probably not going to like the answer to that question. “About four weeks” Rey told them with a small smile.

“FOUR WEEKS? YOU WAITED FOUR WEEKS AFTER FINDING OUT BEFORE TELLING US THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE GRANDPARENTS?” Leia squarked and slapped her son on the arm.

“Ow, Mother, take it easy” Ben whined with a scowl, rubbing the part of his arm Leia had just smacked and turned to Rey. “I told you!” He groaned as she stuck her tongue out in response. “There was a perfectly good reason for making you wait a little bit longer,” he told his mother as he moved over to find his bag. He rummaged around for a few seconds before pulling his hand out with a large brown envelope in his grip. Dropping his bag back onto the ground he walked back to his family and handed the envelope to Rey.

“We wanted to make sure everything was okay with the baby before we told anyone,” She told them in a small voice. At Rey’s words Leia looked to the ground, in her excitement over her grandchild, she had disregarded the possibility that something could have been wrong. It had never been a secret that Leia had wanted grandchildren one day, even before Ben and Rey had _officially_ began dating.

While the group quietly contemplated Rey’s words, Maz spoke up. “And.. and everything is okay? With the child? With you _both?_ ” She added, eyes searching her daughters face for any trace of an answer.

Rey smiled at the group before pulling out two small sonograms, each one in a silver frame captioned _‘Baby's First Scan’_ that Amilyn had given them _._ “Why don’t you see for yourselves?” She handed one scan to her parents, and the other to Leia and Han.

She fell back into line next to Ben and he wrapped his arm around her as they watched their parents look over the images of their child. “You can’t see much just yet” Rey told them, “but he or she is absolutely fine, very healthy,” she added with a smile as she looked up at her husband. “We have another scan in 2 weeks and were hoping you would come with us?” she asked as she held her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Are you really asking that question?” “Yes!” Leia and Maz both replied loudly at the same time. “ _If_ it’s okay, that is” Maz added.

“Of course it’s alright, we want you there and having an honorary aunt as your OB/GYN definitely comes in handy. She told us it would be fine to bring you in with us,” Ben told them all.

“Then we would very much love to come with you, dear,” Maz told him kindly, her eyes softly looking over the couple. “Now, I think it’s time we go inside for some tea, hmm?”

 

* * *

 

The three women sat at Maz’s kitchen table while Han and Chewy had dragged Ben off for a celebratory drink, or in other words, a typical 3pm when it came to Han and Chewy.

Rey was recounting the story of how she found out she was pregnant in between bites of her mother’s homemade blueberry pie.

“Have you had any symptoms yet, dear?” Leia asked, cutting into a piece.

“The morning sickness has kicked in,” she told them, wrinkling her nose as she spoke. “It turns out this child _does not_ like many of my favourite foods.”

“Go figure. It is half Ben after all” snorted Leia.  

Rey laughed, if anyone understood her husbands stubborn nature it was his own mother.

“Next time you feel a wave of nausea coming on dear, try a ginger nut biscuit. Ginger is wonderful for any type of sickness, do you remember your daddy bringing you some home when you had the stomach flu as a child?” Maz asked, smiling tenderly at the memory of her big hulk of a husband curled up on the couch feeding Rey biscuits not long after they had adopted her.

“I do, it was one of my first memories of coming home,” Rey smiled. She remembered him allowing her to place braids through his bushy ginger beard when he kept getting crumbs down it. It was one of her first real memories of feeling secure. Of _home._

She yawned, tiredness seemed to be another one of her symptoms that had surfaced over the last week. She was now napping most afternoons after classes at the studio, and falling asleep on the couch while she and Ben watched TV before bed in the evenings. She was not going to complain, she knew things were going to get tougher so she was going to take what she could get while she could get it.

“Mom would it be okay if I went and napped for a little bit?” She asked. She knew she still had her bedroom here whenever she needed it, and they had already decided they would spend the night here and drive back home tomorrow.

“Of course, child. You needn’t ask. Your room is all made up and ready for you. I will send Ben up when he comes home to check on you.” Maz told her softly, placing her hand on her daughter's.

“Thank you Mama.” Rey smiled back and leaned over to give both women a hug and a kiss on the cheek before retiring for a rest. For someone still so small her baby certainly took a lot of energy!

 

* * *

 

She was brought out of her dreams by the warmth of Ben stretching out beside her, his arm protectively pulling her to his chest as gently as he could.

“Mm, what time is it?” She asked as she felt around the bed for her phone.

“Its just after 7, your mother is putting dinner in the microwave for us.” He nestled his head into the space between her neck and face, pressing a kiss in greeting. “I didn’t wake you did I?”

“No, I think I was waking up anyway. It seems my body is getting into the routine of these little cat naps” She hummed meaningfully, “I wonder if I’ll have to give these up when I give birth?”

He chuckled. “Sweetheart, I think we’ll have to give up _all_ hopes of sleep when we’re parents.”

“Go figure” she replied. After the concern that they may never become parents, the thought of them losing a little sleep if it meant they had their child safely in their arms was completely worth it. “How was the bar? Did our fathers behave?”

“Ah, yours did.. He couldn’t stop telling people he was going to be a ‘Granda” He said in his best impression of Chewy’s brash Glaswegian accent.

She couldn’t help but laugh at his portrayal of her father. “That sounds about right. And yours?” she asked curiously, wondering what exactly her father in law had gotten up to.

“Lets just say I’ve heard too much about the damage my birth did to my mother’s... He gestured to her nether region, not quite able to say the words himself. “I’m not sure I’m ever going to be able to look either of them in the eye again. There was only so much whiskey in that bar.”

Her giggles turned into fully fledged laughter as she imagined the look of pure horror on her husband's face. “Oh please, you said that the first time they walked in on us when we were teenagers,” she told him after calming down. “But you’ll have to, because we are hungry and need our dinner and so do you.”

He sighed and let go of her, shifting into a partially sitting up position. “I suppose we should.”

He waited for Rey to redress as she recounted what her mother had told her about ginger nut biscuits. He made a mental note to add them to the shopping list when they got home along with her recent craving - coconut frozen yogurt.

They walked back down through the warm old cottage to the kitchen. She could hear her father's booming laugh as Han recalled a story. It was once again a memory Rey had of growing up here. Their parents often had dinners together while Rey and Ben played in the next room.

“Ah! There you are!” Maz called as she saw her, bringing Rey out of her thoughts. “We were wondering if you would be joining us. How did you sleep, dear?”

“Like a dream, thank you mama.” She answered with a yawn. “Would you like any help?” She offered.

“No, dear. You sit yourselves down it’s almost done.” Maz told her. They took a seat at the table opposite Leia and Han. Ben eyed Han warily, Han simply offered a cheeky grin in response.

“So have you thought of any names yet?” Leia asked, breaking the semi-awkward silence.

“Mom we have just barely gotten a quarter of the way through,” Ben told her as he looked over to Rey, “I’m not even sure if we have decided to find out what we’re having or not yet.”

Rey bit her lip, it _had_ crossed her mind but they hadn’t yet discussed the ins and outs of it. They had mostly just been riding on the fumes of their excitement for the last few weeks in their own private bubble.

“No, the thing that has honestly been taking up the most of my concentration has been knowing what to do about the studio while I go on maternity leave.” Rey told them with a sigh. “In a way it’s sort of been my first baby, I don’t just want to close it for months. I’m not even sure how long I will be on leave for.”

“That’s understandable dear,” Leia told her, “you’ve worked hard to build your studio from the ground up. It’s only natural you wouldn’t want to close it.” Maz set their plates in front of them. They changed the subject to something more cheery as they began to eat.

Rey sat looking around the table as everyone ate, not being to help herself as she imagined the same scene in a year or two's time. Family dinners where their child would be seated at the table with them as Ben helped to feed them. The thought filled her with an inner peace she hadn’t felt in a very long time.


	4. Lime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments, I love reading them! It motivates me to keep writing, so keep them up! ;)
> 
> Thank you to the lovely Bunilicious for beta reading this and for the beautiful moodboard. If anyone needs a moodboard done, this is your girl!

 

 

 

Now that they had made the big reveal to their parents, it was time to let the rest of the family know. They had decided on a simple movie night, knowing that anything too elaborate would quickly be sussed out by the group of friends before any of them had even entered the threshold of the Solo’s.

Everything had quickly gone back to their new version of normal since returning from their parents the previous week. Rey had been busy working on a new schedule for the art studio, knowing that she still needed to work something out for when she reached the later stages of her pregnancy, and after the birth as she was the only teacher. She was hoping to avoid closing the studio completely for the few months following the birth.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. She was not having much success at coming up with a solution to her problem and it was giving her a headache. She knew she had the next 6 months at the latest but she wanted to make sure it was sorted out sooner rather than later so they were prepared for every eventuality. She decided to take a break for the time being; she had a class in 15 minutes to get ready for. Rey took that moment to fire off a quick message to the group chat.

**Rey Solo to The Resistance**

Anyone up for pizza and movies tonight at our place? _11:23_

Rey switched her phone to silent and put it back into her bag, then left her office and began to set up the easels in a circle in the center of the room. She was thankful that her morning sickness had only lasted for a few weeks and seemed for the most part to be easing. Though she still couldn’t stomach even the smell of the foods she loved eating, she was beginning to enjoy being pregnant much more now that she wasn’t throwing up so often. It made teaching a lot easier too, knowing she wasn’t going to suddenly run off to the bathroom in the middle of a class. She was sure her students were beginning to get concerned.

The students slowly began to arrive for their class, filling the silent studio with quiet murmurs as they talked amongst themselves. Rey was organising her plan for the lesson when she noticed someone was approaching her desk.

“Rey? Came a soft but recognisable voice.

She looked up to see one of her longest serving students, Jyn Erso standing before her clutching a small bag.

“Jyn,” Rey addressed her with a smile, “How can I help you?”

“Well, For the last few sessions I noticed you’ve been a bit.. Unwell. So I wanted to bring a little something for you,” she lowered her voice and pushed some of her greying hair behind her ear, “for the morning sickness.”

Rey stood shocked. How did she know? Was it that obvious? Had her parents told someone? “How did you know?” she asked Jyn curiously.

“You have a healthy glow about you. Other than the sickness of course. I’ve had three children of my own with terrible morning sickness so sometimes it’s easy to see when you know what to look for.” She smiled knowingly at the younger lady. “They’re arrowroot biscuits. My husband Cassian used to buy them for me and they never failed to help me. Try one with a nice cup of herbal tea and it will help settle your stomach.” She handed the bag to Rey.

Rey loved Jyn, she was definitely one of her most promising and compassionate students. Despite being closer to Leia’s age than her own, she had formed a fast friendship with the woman. Jyn herself had a background in the arts and they never failed to find something new in common about their craft.

Rey leaned forward, returning Jyns smile. “Thank you so much, that’s so thoughtful. I will try one with my tea at breaktime.” She gave Jyn a small hug, hoping it conveyed how grateful she was for the gesture.

“You’re welcome, You’ll make a wonderful mother” she told her. “Anyway, I will go and get set up. I’m sure you’re a busy lady.” She dismissed herself and went over to an easel and settle down.

Rey put the bag away in her drawer and did a headcount. It looked like everyone had arrived. She cleared her voice, the room quieting as everyone turned away from their conversations to face her. “Good afternoon everyone!” She said cheerily. “We’re going to pick up where we left off last week.

 

* * *

 

The class had emptied and Rey was left on her own once again. It was the last class of the day so she packed up her belongings, ready to leave the studio. She quickly pulled out her phone to see if any of their friends had replied to her message. She found a string of texts from the group chat along with a private message from Rose.

 

**Rose Tico to** **_The Resistance_ **

Armie and I are in, what time? _11:25_

 

**Poe Dameron to** **_The Resistance_ **

Solo’s allowing pizza in his house? I’m sensing a trap _11:31_

 

**Ben Solo to** **_The Resistance_ **

You’re beginning to sound like old man Ackbar in your old age Poe. Anyway, Rey wants pizza and I don’t know about you but I remember the last time I said no to pizza and i’m not keen to repeat it. @Rose say 7:30? _12:01_

 

**Rose Tico to** **_The Resistance_ **

That’s cool by us. _12:10_

 

**Poe Dameron to** **_The Resistance_ **

Oooh, good shout. Anyway, we’ll be there. I’m never one to turn down free food. _12:15_

 

**Ben Solo to** **_The Resistance_ **

Yeah, yeah. Go back to being my mother's slave, flyboy. Anyway, I’ll speak to you later I’m heading back to the office. _12:28_

 

She snorted as she read over Ben and Poe’s exchange. They were just like brothers, banter flowed naturally between the two of them. There was nothing more to be added to the group chat so she closed it and opened Rose’s message.

 

**Rose Tico**

Shall I bring the Pink Gin and Nachos as usual, my love? _13:35_

 

Rey bit her lip, unsure what to reply to her friend. She knew if she told Rose that she couldn’t drink that she would figure it out there and then. She decided to act normal, knowing that once they found out Rose would understand completely. _And_ she was positive Finn would help her finish it.

 

**You**

Of course! You bring the booze, I’ll bring the pizza ;) ;) _14:32_

 

She put her phone away in her bag and locked up the studio. She yawned, tiredness suddenly sweeping over her like a blanket. She needed to go shopping for things they would need for the reveal however she really just wanted to go home. She decided to text Ben, hoping he could pick them up on his way home since he had decided to finish work earlier to help with the preparation.

 

**Rey Solo**

Hey Baby, I’ve just finished class. Would you mind swinging by the store on your way home? I’m not feeling great so just want to go for a nap. _14:35_

 

Rey did not even have time to put her phone back in her bag before he had answered.

 

**Ben Solo**

Yeah no worries Sweetheart, are you sure you will be up to tonight? We can always cancel. _14:35_

 

**Rey Solo**

No, I’m sure I will be fine after my nap. You know how I get. Anyway, I can’t wait to see their faces when we tell them. We love you x _14:36_

 

Rey smiled at the thought, she knew her friends would be as excited as their parents. They had always been very close, from when they first met Hux and Poe in middle school even through high school and college where they met Finn and Rose. No matter where everyone ended up or how life changed they had still made sure they met up regularly. With two pairs of doting grandparents and multiple aunts and uncles, she knew her baby would be so loved.

Her phone vibrated in her hand again, letting her know Ben had replied.

 

**Ben Solo**

Alright sweetheart. I’ll head to the store before coming home. See you at 4:30. I love you both too. _14:38_

 

She put her phone away and began to walk the short distance back to their house. The weather had continued to get warmer as summer was fast approaching. She enjoyed the walk through the local park, it was bursting with greenery and wildlife. She occasionally came with her lunch and sat on the bench beside the wishing well that was situated in the center of the park. People often came and tossed in coins, trading them for wishes. She had lost count of how many of those coins inside the well were hers. Wishes that were made as she wistfully watched families having picnics, feeding the ducks and playing games. She still couldn’t believe that soon she, Ben and their child would be here among the other families.

She pulled out her keys as she approached their house, admiring the flowers that were blooming into life in their front garden, a physical representation of the little life blooming inside of her as she walked up the drive.

Once inside, she quickly scoured the house for any traces of her pregnancy, making sure to hide them before their friends arrived in a few hours before striping down to her underwear and climbing into bed. Sleep welcomed her with open arms.

 

* * *

 

The sound of her husband softly calling her name and gently stroking her hair roused her from her sleep. “Hey Sweetheart, it’s time to wake up.” He kissed her on the spot behind her ear, something she couldn’t resist.

She whined as she stretched, her body not quite ready to wake up. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “I haven’t overslept have I?” She asked.

“No, it’s 6pm” he told her. “We have lots of time to get ready.”

“Okay,” she said as she yawned. “Let’s start getting things ready. I will go and print the pictures off, do you want to go and make sure I’ve put everything away that should be?” She asked him.

“Sure,” he agreed. “I’ll order the pizza to arrive for 7:30” he told her. “I’m going to make sure they send a text rather than ring the doorbell, it means no one else will try to answer it.”

“Sounds good.” She kissed him on the lips and left the room to get started.

 

* * *

 

They had just put everything into place when they heard the doorbell ring. They looked at each other and grinned. “Show time” Ben said as they both left the room. Ben went into the kitchen to make sure everything was ready while Rey answered the door.

It seemed like the timing had worked out perfectly as everyone had arrived together. “Peanut!” Shouted Finn as he launched towards her, wrapping her in a tight hug.

“Finn,” she laughed as she hugged him back, “you’re acting like you haven’t seen me in years. We had coffee just last week!”

“But it felt like years” he grinned. They all shuffled into the house and Rey guided them into the lounge where everything was set up ready for their movie night.

“What do you guys feel like watching?” Rey asked, picking up a piece of popcorn and popping it into her mouth.

“I’m easy,” replied Poe absentmindedly.

The group looked at him before simultaneously bursting into laughter. “Well we didn’t want to say anything, but..” Hux told him in between fits of laughter.

“Get fucked,” grumbled Poe as Ben entered the room.

“Hey guys,” he said as he balanced himself on the corner of the armchair Rey had curled up in. “What’s new?”

The group fell into an easy discussion, telling each other what was new in their lives.

Ben felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out to find a text from the pizza delivery boy telling him he’d arrived. He excused himself from the room, pretending he had to use the bathroom.

He answered the door, tipping the pizza boy generously and snuck the boxes into the kitchen. He picked up the print outs that Rey had done and stuck one onto the inside of the lid on each box and wrote out a simple message in each one.

Ben picked up the boxes and took them into the lounge where the group had finally decided on watching a thriller.

He cleared his throat and caught Rey’s eyes. Everyone stopped talking and turned to him. “So, when I pass you guys your pizza boxes, could you all wait and open them together? Rey and I have put a gift in there for you all.

“I KNEW IT, IT'S A TRAP!” Poe yelled out, pointing to the couple accusingly.

“Pipe down Ackbar. “ Rey told him. “Promise you’ll all wait?”

The group all nodded, curious as to what the couple were planning. Ben passed out the boxes and went back to sit with Rey.

“On the count of three,” she started. “One.. Two.. Three!”

As soon as she said the word three all four of their friends opened their pizza boxes to see the message their friends had left inside.

There, inside the lids of each of the boxes was a photocopy of their scan photo along with a simple message:

 

_‘Eat up everyone!_

_My Mommy can’t be the only one with a belly._

_Love, Baby Solo._

_Ps. See you in October!’_

 

The room fell into a deadly silence. And then suddenly, it hit them and everything erupted.

“Shut up!” Poe shouted in disbelief.

Rose threw her pizza off her lap as she launched herself towards Rey and wrapped her arms around her tightly. “Oh my god I’m going to be an auntie!” She cried, “I’m so happy for you both!”

Finn appeared beside them with a wide grin on his face! “Your very own Reylo baby!” She could see he was becoming emotional. He was as close to a brother as she was ever going to get. “I’m so proud of you Peanut, so, so proud.”

Poe and Hux were shaking Ben's hand and patting him heartily on the back. “Congratulations Solo!” Hux said the ghost of a smile on his pale face. Once everything died down, the group sat in a comfortable silence.

“So how long have you guys known?” Rose asked as she took a bite of her pizza and looking down at the scan photo.

“We’ve known for a month, but didn’t want to tell anyone just in case anything was wrong” Rey explained, “but everything is fine, he or she is very healthy and active. We’re 11 weeks in at the moment” she added with a smile, holding her hand on her stomach.

It felt like a replication of telling their parents. But Rey didn’t mind repeating the answers, she could talk about her baby for hours given the chance.

“Oh! Rey! This means we have to throw you a baby shower!” Rose announced determinedly. “I will take complete responsibility for it!”

“I think you’ll have to fight Leia to the death for it, Rosie.” Rey laughed. “But I would love you both to throw us a shower. But please don’t go over the top, okay?” She asked, biting her lip, picturing the bridal shower scene from the movie _Bridesmaids_ where every guest was given a celebratory puppy.

Rose picked up her bag and retrieved the bottle of Pink Gin she had brought with her. She sighed dramatically and looked at Finn, shaking the bottle to draw his attention to her. “Looks like you’ll have to be my drinking partner for the next 6 months.” She grinned.

Finn returned the grin as he reached for the bottle. “Oh, honey. You don’t even need to ask” He told her with a wink.

Once all the pizza was eaten and they had all settled down to watch the movie. Rey got up to give Ben her seat, once he was seated she curled up on his lap resting her head on his shoulder. His arm was around her protectively, rubbing soothing circles into her hip bone.

Rey felt nothing but complete contentment. Now that all of the important people in their lives knew there was nothing to hide, they could display their scan photos for everyone to see, Ben planned to placed a framed copy on his desk at the office, as did Rey. She was sure once Leia knew that they had told the group that she would tell everyone in her office as well. If Poe was not her assistant and they hadn’t sworn her to secrecy, then they would all probably already know. But now that everyone that needed to know knew, they couldn’t wait to tell the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I feel like I should probably add, that while Ben is Ben in this story, Reylo is still a thing when it comes to their friends (Rey + Solo = Reylo)


	5. Plum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting a double update today! Think of it as reimbursement for your wonderful comments and love <3
> 
> Thank you as usual to the lovely Bunilicious for beta reading and the beautiful moodpboard! 
> 
> I tell you, by writing this I'm ruining my own expectation of men. 
> 
> Anyhow, enjoy the fluff!

 

 

The first thing Ben saw of his wife as he woke up that morning was the scene of her jumping out of bed and slamming the bathroom door behind her, followed by the sound of her retching. He knew it was hard on her, it was not helping with how tired she felt and he felt a bit lost, not really knowing how to really help her. He, of course, had been doing the reading that most expectant dads do, and they had looked into more than just buying shares in ginger nut biscuits, but they had not yet found any of the remedies made much of a difference. He looked over at the clock, deciding it was a good time to get up and make sure Rey had what she needed waiting for her when she left the bathroom.

 

* * *

 

Rey moved her head away from the toilet as she flushed and slowly stood up from her place on the floor. She moved over to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror, her usually tanned skin taking on a sickly pale colour.  She brushed her teeth thoroughly to rid herself of the taste and decided a drink of water, a packet of biscuits and some online shopping was needed to pick herself up before they had to leave. The only thing keeping her sane was the hope that her sickness eased as she went into her second trimester like she read it might, though it wasn’t an exact science.

Today was the day of their 12 week scan and despite the morning sickness making her feel unwell, she had been too excited to sleep the night before, which was a stark contrast to their first scan only 4 weeks ago. The couple had planned to go for breakfast with their parents before it was time to go and see Amilyn.

She walked down stairs and into the kitchen, finding a cold glass of water and half a packet of ginger nuts waiting on the counter for her. She couldn’t help but smile. Her husband had always been supportive of her needs, but since finding out she was expecting he had gone above and beyond in ways she hadn’t really even thought of. He took in everything. From cooking what foods the baby liked the most at the strangest times of night, to knowing and making sure they always had what helped her recover from sickness the fastest in the house and even ensuring he got the time to come home every day at lunchtime to check on them both.

She heard the sound of the shower being switched on from down the hall and hummed. She was debating on joining him, but knew if she did they probably would be late leaving the house and Leia would probably hunt them down. But she _did_ need a shower.

She was hit with a sudden idea and grinned. She texted Leia telling her not to worry if they were a little late, mentioning her morning sickness and quickly went to join Ben in the shower. No one would know, right?

 

 

* * *

 

She yawned as they drove into town. She closed her eyes as she listened to the radio in the background. “Tired?” Ben asked as he moved his arm over to push a tendril of hair behind her ear. She opened her eyes to see her husband peering at her beneath his glasses as he waited for the lights to change.

“A little, but nothing some food won’t fix.” She said with a smile. They pulled into the small car park outside the diner across the road from the clinic, where they had planned to meet their parents. Rey could see both cars signaling that they were the last to arrive. Rey grabbed the arm Ben had offered to her and they left the car.

Leia quickly waved them over to the booth they had saved with two empty seats at the end of one side, something Rey was grateful for in the case that a quick getaway was needed.

“You look exhausted, dear.” Leia told her with concern. “And to think I was wondering if you just wanted a little more time to yourselves, but..” she trailed off.

Rey blushed from her neck upwards as Ben stared hard at the wall behind them. “Leia please,” Han whined “in front of my salad?”

“Han, I hate to break it to you,” she said as she pointed at Rey's stomach, “but how do you think they _got_ pregnant in the first place?” She rolled her eyes as her husband grumbled a response. “Ben was not delivered by a stork and neither is this little one.”

“See Dad, it’s not great hearing about someone else’s sex life is it?” Ben mocked him further. Hans reply was blocked by the roar of Chewy’s laughter at seeing his closest friend being put into his place by both his wife and son.

“As great as this all is, could our sex life be removed from the table please?” Rey looked pointedly at Ben and Leia and back to her menu trying not to look at their faces as Leia winked at her.

“How are you feeling, anyway?” Leia asked as everyone went back to their own conversations.

“Does being hit by a truck explain it well enough?” She replied thoughtfully. “I don’t want to complain but..”

“..but you’re more than within your right to, Rey,” Leia cut her off. “As wonderful as pregnancy is, the first and last few weeks are hard. And the emotions don’t help matters.” Leia soothed her. “You might want to talk to Amilyn though. She may have some advice for you.”

Rey nodded and hummed thoughtfully. She had made a list of the things she wanted to talk to Amilyn about during the appointment, though most of them were things she had just forgotten to ask last month.

“Anything caught your eye?” Ben leaned over to her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“I may just have the fruit salad” she replied. “I can’t imagine my usual would go down well, do you?” She asked, knowing the possibility of an English breakfast could just make her feel worse if her previous bouts were anything to go by.

“Well I was planning on getting the breakfast anyway, I’ll just order a large one and we can share?” He shrugged. “You can test it but still have your fruit just in case _someone_ decides to be fussy.

“Wait, Ben no. That’s hardly fair,” she complained, “I’ll just stick to my fruit salad I’ll survive.”

“ _You_ may, but you’ve got to eat more than that now and you know it. Besides, I can eat what I want without a little person contradicting me, so just humour me and take half.” He told her sternly.

She sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to let her off that lightly. “Thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek and put the menu down with a smile. Rey did not miss Maz looking across the table to the two of them, her eyes glinting knowingly. She couldn’t help but think the couple resembled a more subdued Han and Leia in their younger years.

They ordered their food and went back to talking amongst themselves until it arrived not too long after. Ben put the plate between the two of them and went back to his conversation with his father to ensure she didn’t argue with him about it.

She let out a small moan as she started on her fruit. Rey’s fondness for food was not uncommon knowledge to most people, however her love of fruit was much greater than most other foods.

They finished up their food with no reappearance from her morning sickness. Rey was thankfully feeling much better once she had eaten and she was fairly sure if she had the ability to she would be purring.

“Are you guys finished?” Ben asked as he looked down at his watch. “We should probably be heading over in a minute.” Leia all but bounced out of her seat at his words. “I just need to finish my drink and then we’ll go” he grinned.

 

* * *

 

They had all been led into the small clinical room that Rey and Ben had previously been in for their first scan. Being of Ben's height and almost what seemed like twice his width, Chewy had taken himself into the corner in an attempt to look smaller and take up as little room as possible.

“It feels.. much smaller this time” Ben told her as he sat down beside the bed much like he had before in a bid to keep out of the way as Chewy had done.

There was a quiet knock at the door and after Rey shouted her in, Amilyn appeared. “Ah, I was wondering if you had brought anyone with you” she said as she beamed at the couple and their guests. She leant over to briefly hug Leia and Maz before taking her seat on the opposite side of the bed, “How are we doing?” She asked Rey, “Any big changes I need to know about?”

Rey pulled out the piece of paper she had written everything she needed to ask and mention from her pocket. “That’s what I like to see, a prepared parent!” She grinned.

“Ah um, to be honest I think the only thing to mention is the horrible bouts of morning sickness and tiredness.” Rey told her.

Amilyn nodded and began to write. “And it’s not every time you eat, no?”

Rey shook her head. “No, it’s just certain times of day or certain foods.”

“That’s normal, not everyone is lucky but it _should_ begin to ease in the next few weeks. But you already know that.” she winked in Ben's direction.

His ears reddened and he turned to his mother. “Have you been relaying information mother?!” She held up her hands in surrender.

“What?? I’m a grandmother it’s only natural!” She retorted. “And what’s the problem? So you’ve been doing a little reading!”

He rolled his eyes and turned back around to find Amilyn watching the exchange with amusement.

“As for the tiredness.. well I empathise. It may temporarily get better but it’s not easy growing a human being.” She told them.

“I had a feeling you’d say that.” Rey sighed. “Well, in any case I have time to get used to it.”

“You’ll have lots to occupy you, I’m sure.” She said as she rolled her chair to the side to get the bottle of gel. “I’m going to need you to take off your jacket and lift up your shirt for me.”

Rey agreed and grinned at Ben. She could see Leia and Maz moving over slightly to ensure they could see the screen as well.

She was handed a sheet of paper towel to tuck into the waistband of her leggings to contain the gel and stop it from getting her clothes wet. As Amilyn applied the gel to her stomach, Rey was thankful that this time the gel was warmed considerably compared to her last scan.

“We should be able to see a bit more this time” Amilyn told them as she began to scan.

As a little more time passed, Amilyn remained quiet while moving the doppler around until she finally let out a hum. Ben could feel Rey getting slightly more restless in her concern. “Is everything alright?” he asked.

Amilyn smiled reassuringly as she answered him. “Everything is fine. They’re lying in an awkward position and all i can see is its backside. Rey you may need to get up and drink a little more.”

Chewy barked out his laughter as Rey snorted in response. “Well if anyone ever had any doubts about its father, this is the proof. First it detests my favourite foods and now it moons us. It clearly favours you.”

“The sad thing is I can’t say otherwise, my parents are in here with us.” Ben responded and shook his head.

Amilyn put the doppler down onto the side of the bed and felt around Rey’s abdomen, hoping the manipulations would persuade the child to roll over. “Does this happen often?” Rey asked curiously.

“More often than you’d think,” she replied, “Especially as they get a little more active.”

“It happened several times with you,” Leia told him. “You were determined to be stubborn from the minute we clapped eyes on you.”

Rey became lost in her thoughts. Hearing Leia’s stories about being pregnant with Ben made her wish all the more that Maz and Chewy were her biological parents. Sure biology doesn’t make a parent, but she would have loved to have heard stories like this about herself. Thinking about the actions of her biological parents had become a recurrent theme in her mind since finding out she was pregnant. She knew that they were addicts, that was how she ended up in her grandfather’s care until he had died. She couldn’t imagine _not_ loving their child. It was loved before they even found out she was pregnant. So how could they let her go?

Ben’s voice broke her out of her thoughts. “Sweetheart?”

“Yes, sorry, I got lost in my thoughts for a moment there. What was the question?” She asked with a tentative smile.

“I was just saying we may need to have you walk around and have a little drink to see if that helps, it seems this little one isn’t keen on making an appearance for you today.” Amilyn smiled. “We usually advise orange or apple juice helps if you’re stuck for ideas Rey.”

“Oh, okay yes that’s fine.” She nodded. “Do we just walk to get a drink and come back?”

“It may need a little more encouragement, I was going to suggest I switch you and my next patient around, it gives you enough time to drink enough and then when you come back they should be a little bit more cooperative.” Amilyn told her warmly. Rey nodded and used the paper towel lining her leggings to wipe off her stomach and sat up.

The family left and decided to walk around the block to a local cafe. Ben held out his arm for her to take as they walked. “This is all on you, I hope you know that,” she tells him jokingly.

“Why me? Its half you too!” He demands. “And you happen to be the more stubborn out of the two of us, thank you. Is this the kind of abuse I’ll face for the next 6 months?”

“Believe me kid, if you think this is bad, try labour.” Han butts in as he walks behind them. “Your mother threw a glass at me.”

“Dad that was a regular occurence through my childhood.” Ben told him and rolled his eyes at his father’s dramatics. They stopped to pick up Rey’s drink and continued to walk, hoping that the sugar would wake up their dozing child enough that they could get a better look at them.

 

* * *

 

30 minutes and two cartons of orange juice later, they were back inside the small room with their fingers crossed that they had better luck.

Amilyn waves the doppler across Rey’s abdomen, monitoring the screen closely. “Ah!” She announced. “There we go, they’ve flipped over.” she grinned at them. She pointed out each of its body parts as she did during their first scan, only this time their baby resembled just that, a baby, and not the small ‘jellybean’ as Ben had nicknamed it.

“Everything is looking perfect,” she told them “they’re actually looking a little bigger than average. I think you’ll start showing soon, if you haven’t already.”

Rey looked up at Ben pointedly who looked away and bit his lip, trying to stave off laughter knowing exactly what she was about to accuse him of.

They continued to watch the baby’s movements as it lifted its hands and flexed its fingers for its parents and grandparents. Amilyn looked across the couple to Leia with a smile as she switched on the sound for the screen. The room filled with the fast paced beating of the child’s heart and Leia couldn’t help but grab Hans arm for stability, the magic of it was not lost of any of them. By the time it was over, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

“Before I print any scans off, would everyone other than the obvious parents like one?” Amilyn asked as she cleared her throat. Leia and Maz nodded, Han and Chewy also got one each, Han for the cab of his truck and Chewy for his office at the garage.

They end the appointment with Amilyn and schedule their 16 week appointment. This meant that they had enough time to decide whether or not they wanted to find out the gender of their child. That was, if it behaved enough to allow them to find out of course.

After bidding goodbye to Amilyn, with Leia promising to be in touch soon, the families left the clinic.


	6. Lemon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben start shopping. This chapter is ALLLLLLL about the surprises!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has anyone sussed what the titles mean yet? Sadly, lemon doesn't mean smut.. Yet. But it IS coming. ;)
> 
> Thank you again to the amazing Bunilicious for beta-ing and providing the beautiful moodboard for this chapter.

Rey was now a week into her second trimester. The morning sickness, like Amilyn had told her, had mostly faded away, and in its place came more energy and she found she was able to return to her normal routine.

In addition to her normal routine she had also changed her exercise routine to accommodate her growing stomach. She began to try simple yoga positions and while many were out of bounds, she found many that helped the back pain she had developed as her baby got bigger.

It was a warm Saturday morning, the day before Mother’s Day in May. Rey yawned and stretched as she woke up, her joints clicking and unlocking. She decided on a warm bath to help ease the backache that had become a regular fixture since she entered her second trimester. She closed her eyes and laid with her head at the edge of the tub while her body submerged under the water as the water worked on her aches. She sighed in comfort as she listened to Ben move around downstairs.

She ran her hands down her body, the water making her flesh extra sensitive under her hands. Her hands stopped once they got to her stomach, feeling something that she hadn’t quite registered before. Her eyes shot open as she realised what she felt:  _ she had a bump!  _ A real bump. Despite knowing about and coming to terms with her pregnancy for the last 5 weeks, she had not yet pictured herself with a bump. Her stomach positively bubbled with excitement. So much so, she got out of the bath so fast she almost slipped on the tile floor as she went to grab a towel.

She rushed out of the bathroom and to the top of the stairs. She stopped and called Ben, not really thinking before she spoke. “BEN! She shouted, “Quick, come here!” She rushed into the bedroom and stood in front of the full length mirror. She didn’t register the sound of a plate breaking from the kitchen below.

She heard Ben rush up the stairs and come sliding across the wooden flooring and into the bedroom. “Rey! What’s wrong, did something happen?” He said quickly as his eyes looked around wildly.

She pulled off her towel and gestured for him to come over stand behind her. He stood behind her, curious as to what his wife was doing. He didn’t need to wonder for long as she grabbed his hands and pulled them around her waist and placed them on her stomach, her hands over his.

“Can you feel that?” she said quietly as her hazel eyes met his dark ones through the reflection of the mirror.

He ran his hands over her abdomen, now noticing the growing bump that was slowly beginning to become visible. “Holy shit.” He whispered. “Look at that.”

He snapped out of it and turned her to face him. “Christ, Rey. You can’t yell like that, I thought something had happened!” he scolded her lightly. He understood her excitement but the fear of something happening to them both shook him to his core.

She blushed as she realised she probably terrified him in her excitement. “I’m sorry, Ben. I didn’t think, I was just so excited..” She said and trailed off.

He pulled her to his chest and rested his chin on her head. “Don’t apologise, just.. Next time, tell me it’s not serious when you shout like that.” he sighed.

Ben kissed her head and breathed in her scent. Nothing relaxed him more than having her in his arms. Knowing they were both safe and secure.

He knew they had the day free and had planned to spend the day watching movies. Instead, Ben formed another plan in his mind.

“Hey,” he said, “Why don’t we start shopping?” he asked her. She looked up at him curiously. “We’ve reached the safe point, and they’re growing nicely, clearly. It’s a perfect time to start at least looking around for the things we need.” He explained.

She pictured their empty room filled with bits and pieces of baby furniture and clothing and realised she couldn’t and wouldn’t say no. Rey smiled at Ben and nodded, “let’s start shopping.” 

  


* * *

 

Rey was holding the small grey ‘my first Christmas sleepsuit’ up to her stomach to show Ben. “Come on look how cute it is, you know we need it.” she said, trying to persuade him to buy it.

“Sweetheart, you said that about the Star Wars bodysuits, the Harry Potter bibs and the penguin sleepsuit.” He said, shaking his head knowing he wasn’t going to win. She them into the basket when he wasn’t looking.

They decided on a few more pieces of clothing including two small “I really, really love my grandma” bodysuits for Maz and Leia as a Mother’s Day gift, a small cat onesie that Rey couldn’t resist and a set of plain white bodysuits, sleepsuits and bibs. They didn’t want to get too much knowing they would likely get clothes from other people as gifts  _ and  _ not knowing how big or small they were going to be made it difficult to know what sizes they would need more of. At least buying bigger meant it would fit at some point in the future.

They started to walk over to the furniture section of the store to see what kind of designs they would like for the nursery. Ben had drawn up all of the space requirements before they left, making it much easier. The man really did think of everything.

“I like this one,” she told him as she finally pointed to a changing table and chest of drawers combination. “It would fit with most colours, and means we’d have more room for a few other things if we had two things built into one. It’s.. functional.”

Ben nodded, passed the basket of clothing to Rey and pulled out the piece of paper he had written all of the measurements down on along with a measuring tape.

“Rey?” She heard her name called from across them, pulling the couples attention away from the measurements of a changing table and to the speaker.

“Jess!” A grin spreading widely across her face. “I didn’t know you were back in town. How are you?” Jessika Pava had been a friend of Rey’s in High School, she had moved a few hours away for college and ended up moving there permanently. The last time Rey had properly seen her had been at their wedding 2 years previously.

“I’m good, I’m actually just back for my sisters baby shower.” She told them, explaining her presence in the store. “I’m trying to find her a gift. What do you even buy a baby?”

“Clothing is always a good way to go,” Rey told her gesturing to the basket of baby clothes she had been holding. “We’ve come to the conclusion you can never have enough clothing for a baby. And as for your sister, chocolate. Just buy a huge box of chocolates and she’ll adore you for it.”

“Wait,” Jess paused as she took in the scene in front of her, the pieces were slotting together in her head. “Are you..?”

Rey answered with a grin. “It’s early days still, but we’re due in November.” She looked up at Ben who was standing awkwardly to the side. He coyly smiled down at her.

“Congratulations!” Jess said and quickly enclosed Rey in a hug. “Do you know what you’re having? Or is it too early? If you couldn’t tell, I don’t really know much about babies, sorry.”

“We don’t, we have just under two more months to decide if we want to find out or just wait.” Rey told her. “But I think we’re both in similar minds that as long as they’re healthy we don’t really mind what we’re having. Although it  _ would _ make buying things a little easier.”

“Right, that makes perfect sense.” Jess nodded. “Anyway, I’ll let you get back to shopping. Keep me updated?” She asked as she gave Rey one more hug.

“Of course! Rose, you know my maid of honour at our wedding, is planning the baby shower so I’ll make sure she sends you an invite when it’s time.” Rey told her and returned her hug.

The couple said their goodbyes and went back to furniture shopping. Once they had decided on a cot and a furniture set to go with their changing table and taken multiple photos of some bedding sets and diaper bags they liked and paid for the clothes they’d selected, they headed to buy Leia and Maz’s other Mothers Day presents before grabbing something to eat. 

  


* * *

 

“So did you have a preference about finding out whether it’s a boy or girl?” Rey asked him between bites of her food.

“Not really,” Ben replied truthfully. “I agree with what you said to Jess earlier, plus we’ll be surprised at some point anyway, does it matter whether it’s at the scan or the birth? Either way we’re not going to be disappointed.”

“That’s true,” Rey replied thoughtfully. “What are we going to do about the nursery colours though?” Being an artist, it was one of the things she was most looking forward to. “As much as I love yellow and green..”

“Well, is it a matter of life or death if our daughter has a blue room or our son a pink one?” He asked curiously, “Actually I vaguely remember  _ someone  _ having a blue room when she was a kid.”

“Someone also has a name, Ben” she grumbled. “But I see your point. I just don’t want it looking like we were unprepared.” She said sadly.

He knew what she was referring to. Even now as an adult, Rey was still getting over her past.

“It won’t look like we were unprepared sweetheart, there’s a lot we can do in the time we have.” He placed his hand over hers reassuringly. “There are more colours in the world than just yellow and green. We don’t even need to paint the walls, we could leave them white and paint animals instead.”

Rey nodded, damn him for being the voice of reason.

“Besides,” he smirked,  “My parents were told they were having a girl and look how that turned out.”

“Oh thats.. Awkward. I didn’t even know that could happen.” They sat quietly until Rey started giggling hysterically.

Ben raised his eyebrow at her in question. “Have I missed something?”

She wiped her eyes as she tried to calm down. “Oh I can just imagine your father. ‘Leia, why does our daughter have a penis?’ ‘Because he’s a boy, Han.’” He snorted in his amusement, and she collapsed into a fit of laughter again, this time taking him with her.   

Once they’d both settled he addressed her again. “So are you happy with not finding out? Or do you want to?”

“I’m fine with not finding out, I meant what I said to Jess. As long as we get a healthy baby out of it, I couldn’t care less whether its a he or a she.” She smiled at the thought, for such a small person there was already so much potential. 

  


* * *

 

The next morning, Ben ensured he woke up a few hours before Rey did. It was Mother’s Day, and this would be the first year that Rey could celebrate the day as more than just a daughter. He had secretly bought her a card while she was looking for Maz’s yesterday and had spent the last week pouring over plans for the day. 

He had planned simply on breakfast in bed and the afternoon at the local spa with their mothers. It was simple but conveyed the message he wanted it to; while the pregnancy hadn’t been  _ bad _ , it had been hard on Rey in the previous weeks and he wanted to show her how immensely grateful he was to her for their growing family.

He closed their bedroom door and the kitchen one in hopes of making sure the smell of the food cooking and any noise he made did not rouse her from her sleep before he had everything set up as he wanted it. In between cooking he carefully wrapped the three gifts he’d had delivered to his office and wrote out her card, placing them all in a gift bag on the corner of the tray. He quickly cut up a selection of fruit and plated everything up and walked back up to their bedroom.

He found her as he left her, spread eagled across ¾ of the bed with her face hidden in the pillow he had used to prop her up when he left an hour ago.

He placed the tray on the floor by the bed and leaned across the bed to wake her up gently.

“Rey, sweetheart it's time to get up.” He told her as he stretched out behind her and pulled her to his chest. His hands lingered on the small bump of her stomach. Since she had pointed it out the day before, he had found himself unable to stop touching it. It was the first way he had really found himself being able to properly bond with the child, even if they didn’t even realise who he was at the moment.

She briefly looked up at the alarm clock to see 8:30 staring back at her in the darkness of their bedroom. “We’re not due for lunch with our parents until 12 Ben,” she whined and buried her face further into his pillow. “What did I do to deserve this on a Sunday?”

“Well, I would say being the mother of my child is the first thing, considering it’s Mother’s Day and all.” he hinted. He kissed a line up the back of her neck to the spot behind her ear. Time to bring out the big guns. “And I thought it would be a perfect time for you to open the presents the baby and I chose for you while you’ve been sleeping.”

That got her attention. She lifted her head and turned to look at him, wondering if she’d slept through the rest of the pregnancy and they in fact now had an actual baby or if he’d just lost his marbles.

He smiled and quickly released her and got off the bed, bending down to pick up the tray of breakfast foods and gifts he had brought upstairs with him.

He took off the small lid he’d placed over her plate of food and set it down on the side of the bed.  Then he sat back down beside her. The curiosity and the smell of food had already gained her interest and she too sat up and leaned against the pillows behind her.

“Ben you didn’t have to do all of this,” she told him and tried to hide a small smile. He had done more than she’d ever expected from him even before she had become pregnant, she hadn’t even thought about a Mother’s Day of her own until next year.

“Well no I didn’t have to, you’re right, but I wanted to. Rey we may not have a child in our arms yet but that doesn’t mean you’re not a mother. You’ve been doing everything you possibly can to make this the healthiest pregnancy you can for the sake of the cub. That’s a mother,” he explained, “and sometimes that’s been to your own discomfort. I can’t do anything for them yet, so let me do this instead. Please?”

She found she had no argument to that. Instead she simply nodded and wrapped her arms around him and hugged him silently.

“Thank you,” he responded quietly. He passed the tray over to her and placed it on her lap before going to get his own. They sat quietly enjoying the silence as they ate. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her and Rey picked up the gift bag at the side and pulled out the card and three wrapped gifts.

She opened the card first and couldn’t help but shed a tear as she read it. 

  


_ Happy Mother’s Day Mommy. _

_ This year I will be snuggled inside your tummy, _

_ but next year I’ll be in your arms _

_ feeling rather lucky _

_ Lots of love, from Bump. _

  


She laid her head on Ben's shoulder and looked up at him. “I love you.” She told him quietly. He replied by kissing the top of her head and nudged the three neatly wrapped gifts towards her. 

She took the flatter of the three boxes to unwrap first. She grinned as she took in the small box that was designed to look like an airmail package.  _ From Mommy’s Tummy, with lots of love  _ It read. Curious to know what was in the box, she opened it and parted the tissue paper and found a small white babygro with a message printed on it:

  


_ “Mommy - _

_ Just a little note to say, _

_ we love you, _

_ each and every day. _

  


_ Love, Me & Daddy xxx” _

  


“Oh my god..” Rey sniffled as she wiped her eyes and addressed Ben. “Are you determined to make me cry today?” She asked jokingly.

“Wait,” he said with panic laced through his voice, “good or bad crying?”

“Good. Very good.” She replied, “Would you be mad if I said I didn’t want to use this?” She held it up in front of her to look at it properly.

“Not at all, I was hoping we would keep it instead of using it. Though if it fits, I’d like at least one photo of them wearing it.” He watched her delicately pack the babygro back in its box with a small smile on his face. He handed her the next gift and she began to tear into the paper. 

Once unwrapped, a plain box sat in front of her. She stared at it with such an intensity Ben wondered if she could see through it. Ben offered her a knife for the tape on the edges and once she had opened it, she saw two separate items inside.

She grinned as she lifted both out. One was a casting kit, and the other an ink set to capture casts and prints of small hands and tiny feet.

“I know you offer a workshop for new parents to make their own casts at the studio but I couldn’t have you doing your own ones at work.” He said almost shyly, “And I know you wanted memento’s of everything. I thought it would be something I could help with?”

“You really think I’d do it without you?” she queried and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

Hearing it said out loud made Ben realize what a silly question it was. The idea of Rey alone doing the casts AND keeping the hands and feet still were quite laughable. “Well, I didn’t think of the practicality of it..” he trailed off.

She shook her head. For someone so intelligent, Ben was ridiculously dense sometimes. “I wasn’t meaning just practically you dope, Its supposed to be something the parents do together.” She laid her head back on his shoulder. “Thank you, these are so thoughtful. I actually didn’t think of doing my own prints.”

“There’s one more thing, and then you’re free to go back to sleep if you so wish. This is something for  _ you _ .” He emphasised as he handed her a softer wrapped box. He knew the the presents he’d gotten her were all for her eventually, but these were something she solely could enjoy now. “I don’t deserve credit for this one, my mother helped.”

“She knows I’m not allowed to drink doesn’t she?” Rey had spent time with Leia long enough to know that her go to gifts were usually alcohol.

Ben chuckled lightly, “I would hope so. But no its not alcohol.” Rey opened the remaining present to find a Burt’s Bees mother to be gift set of various different creams and lotions for her stretching skin, feet and joints.

“Oh my god, she may just be my favourite person of the day, we may also need to stop on the way and get her another gift to go with the flowers.” she told him with a grin. She bit her lip and looked up at him, “Are you sure you don’t want credit?” she purred.

“Are you offering?” he asked silkily and removed the tray and presents from the bed and turned back to her as she captured his lips.

It was at that point that Rey decided she was glad he had gotten her up considerably earlier than necessary that morning.


	7. Avocado

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you all for your lovely comments. They really make my day! 
> 
> Thanks to the amazing Bunilicious for being my Beta and making this beautiful moodboard <3

 

 

Rey was standing in front of her mirror and frowning. She was now 16 weeks pregnant and those that initially were not privy to the information had begun to notice her growing stomach, however no one had yet approached her. In addition to becoming more noticeable to others, Rey was also finding her clothes were becoming tighter and more uncomfortable as both her breasts and stomach grew. She decided it was probably time to do a little maternity shopping, Rey knew as she got bigger her energy levels were going to take a dip again so she may as well make the most of it while she could. While she may be able to lounge around the house in Ben’s t-shirts, she couldn’t very well leave the house or teach classes in them as they were much too big on her.

She had a quick prenatal appointment with Amilyn scheduled for the morning that Rose was accompanying her to as Ben was unable to make it, so she quickly texted to find out if she had any time for a shopping trip as well.

**_Rey Solo_ **

_Are you up for a little shopping tomorrow as well? 6:32_

Rose was never one for missing a shopping trip, and quickly replied.

**Rose Tico:**

Who are you and what have you done with Rey Solo? When and where? _6:33_

**_Rey Solo_ **

_10:15 at the Prenatal clinic? 6:34_

**Rose Tico:**

See you then! _6:37_

She realised Ben would be home from work soon. She put her phone back down on the side, changed out of her jeans and tight fitting t-shirt and into one of Ben’s and decided to make a start on dinner while she was waiting.

 

* * *

 

“Did you know that everyone actually has blue eyes underneath?” Ben asked, peering up from the book he was reading.

“No?” Rey replied, putting the casserole in the oven and turning to face him. “How does that work?”

“Well blue eyes are void of pigment, brown eyes have lots of pigment and green, hazel in your case, eyes are in the middle. When you’re born, your eyes have no pigment in them and as you grow through infancy you gradually get a build up of melanin, or pigment, in your irises. That’s why most caucasian babies are born with blue eyes.

“Well look at you becoming a walking textbook.” Ben stuck his tongue out at her in response and went back to reading. “No, that’s actually pretty cool. I wonder what colour their eyes will be?” She asked herself out loud, not really expecting an answer.

“Well It’s likely to be one of ours, but you never know.” Ben said thoughtfully. “Uncle Luke and Mara both have blue eyes and Jaina’s are brown like my grandmothers.”

“Your grandfather had blue eyes didn’t he?” Rey asked curiously. Once again, she thought back to what she could remember of her own parents, however the only certainty she had of her family was that her grandfather had blue eyes too.

Ben nodded. “He had both blue and brown eyes, so you’re not wrong.” He put his book down as Rey sat at the table and continued. “It’s called Heterochromia, my mother has it too if you look at her eyes when she doesn’t have her glasses on.”

“That, I didn’t know.” Rey said with amazement. “You’d think after 20 years of knowing someone..”

Ben laughed. “Well unless you’ve been up close and personal with my mother then it’s unlikely you would see it, since she only takes her glasses off when she sleeps.” He pushed his own glasses up his nose, he took them off and rubbed his eyes, sore after a long day of staring at screens and paperwork.

Rey watched her obviously tired husband as he fought off a yawn. “What do you say we take dinner and go and watch tv in bed for a change?” Rey asked.

Ben smiled gratefully and nodded. They waited until dinner was ready and escaped to their bedroom.

 

* * *

They spent the remainder of the evening in bed. Ben was asleep with his head resting on the pillow against Rey's side facing towards her stomach. She was resting against the headboard, her hand stroking through his hair gently as she watched tv.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you tomorrow? I can take the morning off if you want me to.” He mumbled to her sleepily. It reminded her of a small child.

“I thought you were asleep,” she said, her tone hinting at a smile. “Ben, they’re only going to ask me to pee in a cup and at worst take my blood and send me on my way or, well, to my doom if shopping with Rose in the past is anything to go by, I’ll be fine I promise.”

“So I’m not going to miss seeing them?” He leant on his arm and looked up at her.

“No, I promise Ben. If it was having a scan I would be marching into your office and _making_ them give you the morning off.” She said with a grin.

He nodded and laid back down as he had before. As she ran her hand through his hair, she had a thought cross her mind.

“I hope they get your hair,” she told him softly. “I could brush through it for hours.”

“As long as they don’t inherit my ears, they can take what they want.” He replied.

She snorted as she imagined a baby with his fluffy hair, making Ben jump.

“What?” He looked up at her with half lidded eyes.

“I just imagined a baby with your hair as it is and ears. It looked a little like one of those troll dolls.” She laughed as his face went from half asleep to outraged.

“Fuck you, this is years of dedication. And I’m telling them you said that.”

Rey snorted again at his response. “What? ‘Oh, mama once told me she imagined you’d look like a troll doll before you were born’? They wouldn’t know _what_ a troll doll even is, dear!”

“You’re going to hell, Rey.” He retorted childishly and buried his face so she couldn’t see him laughing.

“Ben we had sex before we were married, we’re both going to hell. God how are we going to be parents when we’re like this?” She said as she wiped the laughter fuelled tears from her eyes.

“Because _sex_ , Rey. I’m not explaining this to you again.”

“Again? Ben we were 10! And if it makes you feel better I won't scream at the thought of you naked this time.” That was the last thing she managed to say before he rolled them both over, pinning her down and found the ticklish parts of her body he knew she hated.

“Are you sure?” He grinned deviously.

 

* * *

“So, will I get to see them today?” Rose asked to curiously as they sat and waited to be called in to see Amilyn.

“No, today’s just a check up, sorry Rosie.” Rey told her.

Disappointment slightly crossed her face. “Do you want me to stay out here? It’s totally fine if you do” Rose asked

Rey didn’t get to reply as the nurse appeared and called her in. She turned towards Rose and gestured for her to follow them in. Rey hadn’t yet had an appointment alone and wasn’t in a hurry to do so.

They were taken this time to Amilyns office. It was just a bit bigger than the room her scans took place in and resembled no more than a standard doctors office. The nurse asked them to take a seat, before handing Rey a small pot to pee in while she waited for Amilyn.

“They could have told you beforehand, you’ve already been!” Rose exclaimed as the nurse left the room.

Rey laughed. Oh she had no idea. “Rosie, I have Ben's baby using my bladder as a trampoline. I _always_ have to pee.” Rey reassured her and promptly disappeared.

On her return from the bathroom, she found Rose and Amilyn discussing something. However, at her appearance they both stopped talking.

“Don’t stop on my account,” Rey grumbled as she took her seat facing Amilyn next to Rose. She handed the pot to Amilyn who simply offered a smile and placed it on the desk next to her file.

“How have the last 4 weeks been, Rey?” Amilyn asked as she eyed her growing stomach. “You’ve certainly grown.

Rey returned the smile shyly. “They’ve been fine. The morning sickness has stopped and I have a bit more energy.”

“Good, that’s good. And any other symptoms?” Amilyn asked as she continued to write down notes.

“I’m getting dizzy a lot, and my back is beginning to feel sore. But nothing horrendous. I can at least work with these.” She responded thoughtfully.

“Yes, that’s true. Dizziness is normal especially when you get up from bending down or laying down too quickly because more of your blood is being directed down to the baby. We recommend that when you lay down you lay on your side as you progress, it makes getting up a little more comfortable and you hopefully will not get as dizzy. As for your back pain, do you exercise?”

“Does yoga count? Safe positions of course,” she quickly clarified. “I usually go running I didn’t really know if it was safe.. but the yoga helps my back pain. It was recommended in the book we read but I can stop if it’s not good for the baby.” She rushed out in a slight panic

Amilyn cut her off gently and smiled. “Rey, slow down. You don’t need to explain anything to me. And actually prenatal yoga is what I recommend to mothers struggling with pain in their backs. You could also try swimming. The warm water soothes the muscles.” She leaned to the side and picked up a few leaflets and handed them to Rey. “These leaflets give a bit more information and have some good do’s and don'ts to think about. What is your preferred footwear?”

Rey looked at her curiously. “My preferred footwear?”

“Well, what kind of footwear do you wear? Are heels something you wear often?” Amilyn clarified simply. Rose failed to hold in a snort and Rey turned to glare daggers at her friend.

“I’m sorry! It’s just, it took me almost the entirety of the wedding planning period to get her to consider flats with her dress instead of her ratty old pair of Converse. Let alone a pair of heels.”

“You’re supposed to be here for moral support!” Rey huffed good-naturedly. “But she’s right, I tend to stick to what’s comfortable. Flats on a good day, I guess.”

Amilyn hums. “Okay. While I know it’s misleading, flats don’t necessarily give you the best support. I’m not saying don’t wear them because often they are comfortable, maybe just don’t wear them for long periods of time.”

Rey nodded. “While I appreciate the concern, what do my shoes have to do with my back pain?” She asked.

"Backache can be made worse if you’re wearing improper footwear because it makes you stand in a way that’s unnatural for your body, especially while pregnant.” Amilyn explained to her. “You may want to invest in a good pair of comfortable shoes with a good arch and padding, it will help in the long run and when you progress as your feet have a tendency to swell.

“That makes sense. That’s something to add to my list then. I was going shopping for maternity clothes after we leave here anyway.” Rey said with dread in her tone. Rey _hated_ shopping. That is, unless it was shopping for baby things, she quite enjoyed that. Maybe she could convince Rose to look around the baby sections in a few shops while they were out.

“Right, enough of the complicated questions. I need to test this urine and then take your blood pressure.” She smiled reassuringly and got up.

They made small talk as Amilyn walked around the room. “You said you’re going shopping for maternity clothes after you’ve finished here?”

Rey nodded. “I’m not sure if it’s noticeable on the outside but my clothes are feeling a little.. small lately.”

There was a small pause before Amilyn replied. “Yes, I can imagine. You’re small anyway so it’s not a surprise really.” She had finished doing whatever test she needed to do as she threw her gloves away and turned back to them. “Your sample is fine. I just need to check your blood pressure and check your baby’s heartbeat and you’re free to go.”

Roses head shot up and she looked away from her phone, her eyes wide. “I get to hear their heartbeat?” She asked breathlessly.

Rey nodded as Amilyn fitted the blood pressure cuff to her arm. She opened her mouth to reply but Amilyn stopped her.

“Don’t speak” She told Rey as she pressed the button and the cuff inflated.

They all sat in silence until the cuff fully deflated and Amilyn was happy with the result. “A little low but usually nothing to worry about.” She removed the cuff and directed Rey over to the bed.

“Same drill as usual Rey, lay down and pull your shirt up. There’s no gel but it works in the same way as an ultrasound. And now you’re showing a bit, I’m going to measure externally as well. It’s good to do it this way as well as via the ultrasound sometimes.” She said as she pulled the machine over to Rey.  

It took a few minutes of Amilyn moving the doppler around for the room to fill with the loud thumping of her baby’s heartbeat. She grinned at the sound, it was something she knew she would never tire of. She turned to Rose to see the girl was sat watching her with a wide eyed expression of awe, much like her parents had.

“That sounds as strong and rhythmic as I would hope.” Amilyn said, breaking Rey out of the trance she was in.

“It might sound weird but is there anyway I can get a recording of that?” Rey asked curiously.

“Not weird at all, it’s actually a question we get a lot. If you hand me your phone I can set it near the speaker.” Amilyn told her.

Rey unlocked her phone and handed it to her and they set the doppler back up.

They made 30 seconds recording and then Amilyn measured her stomach, and once again found that she was measuring a little larger than average, but still perfectly healthy. On her way out of the clinic, Rey booked her 20 week ultrasound.

They left and Rose promptly squealed and enveloped Rey in a hug. “Oh my god. You’re having a baby!"

Rey looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Rose.. we told you 5 weeks ago sweetie."

“I know but.. that makes it so much more real!” She said and covered her mouth, she was radiating giddiness. “It’s little heartbeat.”

Rey smiled. Seeing people other than herself and Ben get excited made her so happy. It didn’t matter wherever their child turned, there would always be someone there that loved them.

“Let’s get you some clothes!” Rose linked her arm with Rey’s and all but dragged her in the direction of the mall. “What exactly are you looking for?”

“Well I think I mostly need some new tops and blouses. My leggings still have a lot of give but I’d like to buy a few bigger pairs just in case and maybe some dresses for the summer.” Rey said thoughtfully. “As long as I don’t look like I’m about to burst out of my clothes and my bras don’t feel like they’re cutting off circulation to my breasts, I’m not fussy.”

“You’re willingly buying not just one but multiple dresses? You really have been mind tricked.” Rose gaped at her.

“Hey, I’m all about the comfort these days. If it doesn’t make me look like a baby whale I’ll take it.”

“I suppose being pregnant during the summer is going to be tough.” Rose reasoned.

“And if you don’t mind, I wouldn’t mind looking at some baby clothes.” Rey said to her.

Rose squealed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “This is going to be so exciting!”

 

* * *

 

They had just finished buying Rey's maternity clothes and decided it was time to sit down and eat. She had found a number of loose fitting tops, some blouses for classes. Bigger bras and some leggings. She had also found a pair of sketchers she liked as Amilyn had recommended to buy in a bigger size and some well padded vans instead of her flats. Rose had found a number of dresses for her, although Rey firmly drew the line at three. She decided only to buy her summer clothes as anything she bought now may not be suitable for her later stages in the autumn months.

“So, where to next?” Rose asked as she twirled her fork around her spaghetti.

“I was thinking Target, Gap Kids, maybe The Children’s Place?”

“I remember when we were in college and we’d look around these stores for when we were ‘older’ and now we’re here to shop for a real baby.” Rose said wistfully. “I wonder if I could convince Armie that we should have a baby.”

Rey grinned at her friend as they threw away their rubbish and headed back to the shopping floor. “Rosie you ran when I threw up after eating pizza the night we told you, what would you do with all the baby sick and poop?”

Rose wrinkled her nose in disgust. “On second thoughts, I’ll make do as fairy godmother for now. I can get all the cuddles and then pass them back to you when they need changing.”

She laughed at Roses honesty. “Thanks Rose, you’re the true MVP. But honestly I think it might be different when it’s your own baby.” Rey reasoned. “Gap Kids first?”

Rose nodded. “Whatever you want, o pregnant one.”

They found a decent selection of clothing, all in light cream, whites and pale pastel yellow and greens. Rey had a heart set on a tiny pink t-shirt with her favourite character on it, the Princess from Star Wars.

“Why not wait until your scan next month to find out what you're having and we can come back to find some clothing in that colour?” Rose suggested.

“Well..” _Ohh this wasn’t going to be good_ , Rey thought to herself and shut her eyes. “We’ve actually agreed not to find out until I give birth..”

“WHAT?! You’re not finding out what you’re having? How are we supposed to plan a baby shower around that?!” Rose exclaimed.

Rey rolled her eyes, Rose was ever one for the dramatics when it came to party planning. “Rosie calm down, there’s plenty you can do. I’m sure Leia has already compiled a list.” Rey tried to talk her down.

“How can you be content with not knowing when you can practically find out right now?” Rose asked as they paid for the clothes and moved to the next store.

Rey shrugged. “I guess to us it doesn’t matter. As long as they’re healthy I mean.” It was true, Rey was definitely curious but she knew Ben was right when they made their decision. “We’ve wanted him or her for so long and we were so convinced it wouldn’t happen, so I’m just grateful they’re here.”

Rose nodded. “Sorry Rey, I didn’t think of it like that. I just know that you hate not knowing things, I guess like I do.”

“It’s okay Rosie, I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I did initially feel a bit torn, but I just want a healthy baby in my arms.” Rey explained. “I know between you and Leia, you’ll plan us an amazing shower.”

The girls decided to call it quits once they had one long sleeve babygro and sleepsuit and one short sleeved one of each in the first three sizes as they found themselves overrun with bags.

“We should have thought of this, can we just call a cab?” Rose said as she put the bags down and flexed her hands.

“Normally I’d say no but my back is killing me.” Rey replied as she pulled out her phone to bring up the Uber app.

As they sat and waited for their Uber to arrive they reflected on the days events and talked among themselves. By the time they got back to the Solo’s, Rey was ready to drop. Rose helped her to put the bags in the right rooms and, seeing that Rey was falling asleep, ensured she had a box of crackers and some water next to the bed and quietly let herself out.

She was closing the door behind her when she heard the slam of a car door and the crunch of gravel.

“Hey Rose” Ben called as he locked up and began the walk towards her.

“Hey Benny, you’re home early.” Rose observed, it being only 4:30.

He ran his hand through his hair, a nervous trait of his. “Think the boss was feeling a little bad that I couldn’t go with Rey this morning so he let me go after I handed in my last file this afternoon. Rey inside?”

“She’s sleeping, I think the shopping wore her out. I left some crackers and water by the side of the bed for her.” Rose told him.

Ben sighed with relief, knowing she was resting, “Thanks for looking after her Rosie. How did this morning go?”

“I think it went fine, but you’ll have to ask Rey because I understand very little of it. The woman _did_ say that Rey's pee was okay though.” Rose scrunched her nose up at that part.

Ben smiled at Roses obvious discomfort. “Thanks for the good news.”

“Also,” she starts and then punches him in the arm. “That is for not finding out what you’re having.” She told him sharply as he opened his mouth. “I don’t hit pregnant people so I’m afraid you’ll have to do.”

“Okay.. and why are you so pissed about that?” Confusion was painted all over his pale face as he looked down at his much shorter friend.

“I’m planning your baby shower, now what do I do??” She whined. “Rey hates yellow, so that just leaves green!”

Ben huffed out a laugh. Because _of course_ that’s why she’s pissed. “Just focus around the colours we’re using. I think we’ve worked out the nursery colour scheme will be grey and cream and Reys planning on painting animals to go with it.” He readjusted his bag on his shoulder.

“Huh, I uh, didn’t think about grey.” She mused. “But this means all of its clothes are going to be white or grey. Rey nearly cried when she had to put a tiny pink Star Wars t-shirt back on the rack.”

He smiled at the thought and pushed his glasses back on his nose. “Well we won’t know until they’re born how big they are anyway, so it makes sense that we buy a few things of each size in one colour to tie us over and then we can get more clothes in the right size and more colours afterwards.”

“That actually makes a lot of sense.” Rose relented. “But I need to go, my shift at the gallery starts in 15.”

“I do have good ideas occasionally Rose.” Ben winked. “Have a good shift.” He waved her off and let himself into the house to find Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourselves, smut is coming! ;)


	8. Banana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, what do we have here? WRENS GONE EXPLICIT.
> 
> (Please be gentle, I've never written smut before so.. I apologise for any terribleness, its safe to assume I have no idea what I'm writing about..)
> 
> Thank you to J & Bunilicious for Betaing and to Buni for the delicious moodboard (I'm saying that because JUST LOOK AT HIM.)
> 
> FYI: I didn't actually notice until last night that the chapter name 'Banana' ended up coinciding with my smut chapter, so keep your mind out of the gutters!
> 
> If anyone is not okay with smut, please skip to the first break up line.

Rey pulled him down on top of her, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. Their tongues tangled together as she wrapped one arm over his shoulder and the other trailed down to his waist and found its way up his shirt.

“Off.” She panted as she tugged at the fabric. She felt him grin against her mouth as he sat backwards and pulled the shirt off over his head and threw it to the side of the bed.

She used the quick pause to remove her shirt and bra, feeling the immense relief of releasing her fast growing breasts from their restrictions.

His lips were quickly back on hers, and moved from her mouth to her jaw, nipping as he moved downwards. He took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked lightly as he squeezed the other gently, as she moaned loudly. She ran one of her hands through his thick hair, and the other moved down his back. She squeezed his ass through his jeans, making him growl in response. He lifted his head up, his dark eyes meeting hers in the moonlight streaming through the window.

She could see the fire burning in his gaze as he moved his hands to the waistband of her leggings and pulled them off, she lifted her hips to aid him, leaving her in nothing but what she was born with.

Rey was now halfway through her pregnancy at 20 weeks. Their baby was growing bigger with every week that passed. Her morning sickness had all but disappeared and she had much more energy. That was, unless she was around Ben. With her newfound bursts of energy, she had also developed a heightened sex drive.

Sex with Ben had always been good and they had a healthy sex life, an upside of a long relationship with each other that gave them the time to study the needs of their partner, but now her body made her feel like it was a necessity. As urgent as the need to breathe. She would find herself waking up in the middle of the night, and waking him up by taking him into her mouth or dragging him on top of her. There were some days she jumped him as soon as he had walked in through the front door after work. Needless to say, she was insatiable. Not that he complained. He had more than once told her that knowing he was the one that made her like this had turned him on in ways he didn’t expect. The only problem was, the bigger she got, the harder it got to partake in their usual positions.

He moved down her body kissing everywhere he could reach, his head settled just below her swelling bump. His eyes remained on her as he slipped two fingers into her slick heat and curled them forwards, making her arch upwards in pleasure.“Ben,” she whined and tried to grind down onto his fingers, “More, please.” She begged.

He inserted a third finger and started to place kisses on her thighs as he moved his fingers in and out of her with increasing speed. He swiped his tongue through her lush folds and swirled it around her clit in time with his fingers, making her keen above him and her mind shorted.

“Ben” she cried insistently.

“What do you need Rey?” he asked, his velvety voice sending another wave warmth through her body. He carried on with his ministrations, listening to her beg with satisfaction. “Tell me.”

“I need.. I need..” her sentence was disrupted by a filthy moan.

“Say it,” he said as he nuzzled his nose against her clit, his fingers scissoring and stretching her. He felt her clench down on him as he brushed against her walls.

“Faster,” she gasped, “please. I’m so close.”

Ben sped up, listening to her cries. He began to suck on her clit and move his fingers faster as she writhed above him, the burning pleasure built up inside her like a coiled spring.

Her legs began to shake as she saw stars. “Let go, Rey.” he urged her, his voice as smooth as syrup.

She threw her head back on the pillow as her orgasm hit her like a bus, lightning flooding her veins. Her thighs tightened around him and her hands gripped his hair hard as she sobbed with relief.

When he felt her iron grip release him he looked up at her with a smirk, the bottom of his face drenched in all things her.

She lifted her head and met his gaze hungrily. “Pants. Off. Now,” she demanded through heavy breathing.

He got off the bed and removed his jeans and boxers together. She crooked her fingers in a come hither motion, luring him back to bed. He climbed back over her and kissed her hard. Ben began to kiss down her neck once again, lazily sucking on her pulse point. He slowly lowered himself down on top of her, his erection hot and heavy against her thigh. She wrapped one of her hands around his length and stroked, directing him to her entrance while the other ran through the hair at the nape of his neck

He buried his face in her shoulder as he started to push inside her. He groaned as he bottomed out and dug his nails into the sheets either side of Rey's body.

Ben lifted his head up to look at her and began to grow concerned when he saw her wince in obvious discomfort. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” He asked, panic evident in his voice. He rose up on his arms off of her.

“Mm, no it’s okay. It’s just that’s not going to work” Rey told him and rubbed the obvious bump in between them.

“So I didn’t hurt you?” He asked cautiously.

“No, of course not.” She said, “it’s just uncomfortable.”

“I have an idea,” Ben said. “Roll onto your side.”

Rey did as he asked and looked over her shoulder as he settled behind her. He slipped his leg in between hers and lined himself back up to her entrance.

They both groaned as he entered her, pulling out and then back in deeper and deeper until he was buried to the hilt. “Better?” He panted. “Much.” She closed her eyes tightly and groaned softly, “but please start moving.” Ben did as he was told, moving in and out as he put his arm around her and began to squeeze and rub her breasts, his fingers lightly pinching her nipples.

He pressed his forehead to the back of her head. She threw her arm behind her to the back of his neck in response, moaning loudly as they met stroke for stroke.

Rey whimpered as she felt herself climbing towards her release. “More” she cried as the spring coiled tighter and tighter. She brought her hand down from his neck and laced it with his, guiding it down to her clit. He began to draw tight circles around it  and sped up his movements, knowing they were both close.

Ben drove into her once, twice, three more times until he felt her walls clench tightly around him, her back arched into him as she fell over the edge taking him down with her.

They both laid still as they tried to catch their breath. He pushed the sweaty hair that was hanging in his face back. “How was that?” He asked, his voice husky from overuse.

“Perfect,” she said, still panting. “Absolutely perfect.” 

  


* * *

It was a few days before their next scan when Rey felt it. Truth be told, at first she didn’t really even know what “it” was. They were watching a movie on the couch, her head was resting on Ben's shoulder as he ran his hand through her hair. She was so relaxed that she was close to falling asleep.

“Oh!” She yelped as she jumped off of Ben and up onto her feet in surprise. Her hands went instinctively to her stomach and Ben’s eyes looked to hers in concern.

“What? Rey what’s wrong?” He stood up with hers, gripped her elbows and bent his head to look at her properly.

A wide grin slowly replaced the shocked expression on her face. “I-I think they may have just kicked me!”

“They kicked?” He asked breathlessly.

“Here look, let’s see if they do it again.” She said as she held his hands over her stomach.

They waited in hopeful silence for the kicks to repeat. “There!” She exclaimed excitedly. “Did you feel that one?”

“I didn’t feel anything,” Ben said with a frown.

She could sense her husband's disappointment at not being able to feel their child kick. She lead him back to the couch and ensured his hands remained on stomach - just in case. “Maybe it wasn’t a kick,” she said doubtfully. “Maybe it’s just gas. I’ve read it’s easy for people to get the two mixed up and let’s be real here, I don’t know what I’m feeling.”

Ben reached over to pick up his phone, it was a common occurrence for him to google the things they weren’t sure on. “Well, babies usually start kicking from 16 weeks, but in first pregnancies it can be nearer to 20. So it’s likely it was a kick.” He read out. “What did it feel like? Asking as someone who doesn’t have a uterus.”

She considered for a moment before she answered. “Well.. it _did_ feel a little different to gas I guess. It felt like having physical butterflies in my tummy. A fluttering almost instead of bubbles.”

A small smile appeared on his face as he rubbed her stomach tenderly. “They’re getting stronger” he said quietly, showing the proud fathering side that only she was allowed to see.

They soon decided to go to bed, Rey was tiring and her back was sore.

“I can’t wait until Friday, we’ll get to see how much they’ve grown.” Rey sighed blissfully as she relaxed into his embrace again. 

“What do you think we’re having?” Ben asked her in the darkness.

“I think we’re having a girl.” She said as she yawned into the back of her hand. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s a boy,” he replied. He imagined a little boy with Rey's features and his wild curls. “But I’d love a little girl. She’d have me wrapped around her little finger.” The little boy in his mind’s eye was replaced by a little girl with his features and eyes and Rey’s flowing chocolate locks, she looked a lot like Leia.

“Our son would be a troublemaker like his father, but a mommy’s boy at heart.” She responded with a smile and another yawn. “He’ll be a heartbreaker like his dad, too.”

“The descendant of a Kenobi, a Skywalker and a Solo was always going to be a troublemaker.” Ben mused “A heartbreaker? Yes. Like his dad? No.” Ben didn’t get a reply. He looked over to find Rey fast asleep beside him with one arm cradling her swollen stomach.

He kissed her forehead lightly to make sure he did not disturb her and moved his head to lay opposite her stomach as he began to speak. “Hi there little cub, I’m your daddy. I hope you can hear me.” He said softly. “We can’t wait to meet you.” he placed a kiss on her stomach and placed his hand over Reys and laid back against his pillow. It wasn’t long before he drifted into sleep.

  


* * *

 

“How are we feeling Rey?” Amilyn asked as Rey relaxed against the bed. Ben sat beside her holding her hand as usual.

“I’m feeling well, thank you. I don’t think much has changed since I last saw you,” Rey said thoughtfully as she bit her lip. “I’ve had a bit of heartburn and my feet are becoming very sore but I took your advice and bought some new shoes which help.” She waved her feet to show Amilyn.

“Excellent, that what I like to hear,” Amilyn replied kindly.

“I have a question,” Ben said awkwardly.

Amilyn turned and gave him his full attention as he looked at Rey. “Go ahead, Ben. Your concerns are important too.”

“Well, Rey felt the baby kick a few days ago. I was wondering if its normal that I couldn’t feel anything?”

Amilyn smiled reassuringly. “That's perfectly normal. Rey can feel it because it's inside her. As the baby gets bigger and stronger you should begin to feel the kicks.”

Ben nodded, relieved that soon he too would get to feel their child. “That’s good, I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t get to bond with them, that they’d be born not knowing who I was or something.”

“Well there are plenty of other ways, do you speak to them?” Amilyn asked. “I imagine they should be able to hear you soon if they can’t already.”

“I do at night.” Ben confessed.

Rey turned to look at him. “You do?” 

He nodded, clearly uncomfortable that the direction of the conversation had turned to expose the softer side only his wife usually saw. “Usually when I can’t sleep, but I’ve done it every night since they started kicking. I read they’re sometimes more active when their mom is relaxed.”

“You’ve done your research. Are you sure you don’t want to give up being an accountant and work here instead?” Amilyn joked to break up his tension.

He smiled shyly and looked back at Rey, who was still looking at him curiously. He knew she was wondering why he only did it when she was asleep and hadn’t told her, but he hoped his answer explained it well enough. The couple didn’t know always need to speak, they had the ability to relay what they wanted to say through their facial expressions, something only those who had been through a life together already could do.

“Alright dear, I think you know the drill well enough by now.” Amilyn said, breaking the two out of their private bubble. “I trust you have had a nice big drink of something sugary beforehand?”

Rey was wearing a long blouse, so instead found it easier to simply unbutton and remove it. “Oh yes. I learnt from last time, and Leia told me I should have a full bladder like my last scan?” She asked. Rey passed her blouse to Ben so she could begin tucking the paper towel into her waistband. He folded it with loving precision and placed it on the chair behind him.

“it helps, but it won’t affect anything if you don’t. At this size we expect to be able to see baby a bit better now it’s bigger. My primary concern is making sure we have a better chance at seeing an active baby.” Amilyn explained as she squeezed the warm gel onto Rey's stomach. “However it will be a bit more in depth today. At 20 weeks, your baby’s organs should be completely formed. We check everything to ensure it’s all formed properly as well as checking baby’s size as usual.”

The couple watched the screen with bated breath as Amilyn moved the probe around Rey's stomach. “These are the chambers of their heart,” she pointed out as she showed them each small part. “They’re perfectly formed, I don’t see any reason to be concerned.” She reassured them as they breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m just going to check the other organs and then we’ll see how big they’ve gotten.”

Once Amilyn was pleased and certain that all of the baby’s internal organs were as well formed as they could be, she began to measure them again. As she measured, the couple were given a proper look at how much their child had grown in the last 8 weeks. “Someone is behaving for us today,” Amilyn told them as she pointed out its features. “They’re sucking their thumb.”

Rey looked at Ben who stared at the screen with awe on his face. Tears began to form as she imagined the child sucking its thumb in contentment knowing it could hear both of its parents voices. Ben kissed her on the forehead and clasped her hand tighter as though he could tell what she was thinking.

He laughed as he turned back to the screen. “So that’s not just my extra large nose I can see?”

Rey snorted at his question, it was no secret that Ben hated his nose and ears. She knew though that even if the child was his double, he would fall in love no matter what.

Amilyn laughed at his question and shook her head. “No, that’s definitely a thumb dear.” She waited until they had all stopped laughing and addressed them again. They’re still measuring a little larger than average, but I’m going to measure you externally again Rey just to be sure.” Amilyn told them, before looking at both of them and asking her next question. “Big decision to make before then though. Would you like to know whether you’re having a boy or a girl?” She asked.

Ben and Rey looked at each other briefly before Rey answered. “No, we want it to be a surprise.” Ben squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Just curious, but do you know already?” She asked the older woman.

“I do.” Amilyn answered with a grin. “I know your parents are betting against each other, Ben, so one of them will be pleased. Rey you can start to wipe off your stomach now.”

“Good grief, please don’t tell my mother or she’ll tell everyone before we even know.” Ben begged her with wide eyes.

Amilyn laughed as she printed off a number of scan photos, making sure they had at least two of their child sucking its thumb. “I wouldn’t dream of it, it’s not my news to share. Leia will just have to wait like everyone else.” she added with a wink.

She quickly measured Rey's swollen belly as Rey explained to Ben this is what happened at her last appointment that Rose joined her for.

“No, my calculations are right. They’re still a little bigger than average.” She told them as she removed her measuring tape and allowed Rey to sit up.

“Amilyn, does this mean they’re going to be big when they’re born?” Rey asked curiously, blanching at the idea of pushing out a giant baby.

“It’s not set in stone, I’ve made estimations before and women have given birth to a baby much smaller. Their progress could slow down and even out. There is still enough time for things to change.” Amilyn explained. “But this one,” she pointed to Ben, “was big from the start, so it could just be they’re going to be just like their daddy.”

Rey pointed at her husband threateningly. “If that happens we’re going to have words, Solo.”

Ben held up his hands in mock surrender and smirked at her. “I’ll take your word for it sweetheart.”

Amilyn smiled at the couple, they really had no idea how much they resembled Han and Leia. “You’re free to go now, Rey.” She put the scan photos into an envelope and handed them to Ben after he had helped Rey to sit up. “Don’t forget to schedule your next visit with me at the front desk on the way out, anytime between 24-28 weeks is fine but if you have any worries you know how to reach me.” Amilyn hugged them both and they quickly left to book their next appointment. 


	9. Cantaloupe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You can’t come home whenever your wife has a breakdown because her boobs leak a little, Ben.” She rolled her eyes at how ridiculous that sounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heres chapter 9! Thanks for all your wonderful comments from my last chapter, its soothed my nerves and I may be considering adding another smut chapter later!
> 
> Thanks to the lovely Bunilicious for being a wonderful beta and for creating this beautiful moodpboard <3

 

 

 

Rey couldn’t help but wonder if this is what being a mother was going to feel like as she sat sweating uncontrollably in an unbuttoned blouse with stains where her breasts had leaked small amounts of milk through, a recent new symptom she had developed. It showed that her baby was well taken care of while she felt like, well, a mess. She was surrounded by piles of laundry and a plate of leftover mac and cheese on her lap as she fanned herself as she tried and failed to cool off. She looked at the clock and sighed as she put her plate into the sink, deciding to take a shower before she left to cool off and clean up instead.

She was recovering from a very busy morning getting ready for her afternoon class at the studio, when she fast began to realise she just did not have the stamina to do what she used to before she became pregnant. Which brought her to her next concern, how was she going to carry on working at the studio as she got into her third trimester when a simple trip to pick up some breast pads and fold some laundry at 24 weeks was too much for her? What was she going to do about the studio full stop?

Rey felt silly as she stood under the water crying over what she felt was such a trivial matter. She could barely look after herself if today was anything to go by, how was she supposed to take care of such a tiny, needy creature as well? She felt guilty for crying when they had been waiting for so long for their baby to be conceived. She knew she was being ridiculous, she had a wonderful husband to fall back on as well as her doting parents, in laws and friends. She knew that if she simply told Ben about her worries, he would drop everything and help her as much as he could. Which is why she _couldn't_ tell him. He did enough for her and their child already, she couldn’t ask more of him.

She shook her head and realised she had to get out of the shower, the hour had run away from her and it would soon be time to open and set up the studio ready for class. She quickly got out and wrapped herself in a towel and worked to calm herself down as best she could by running through some breathing exercises. She could not turn up to work in such a state, it would be unprofessional.

Once she felt suitably more relaxed, she redressed into some clean clothes, ensured she had put some breast pads into her bra and applied some simple makeup to hide her hormone induced blotchy skin before grabbing her keys and bag and leaving.

She walked her normal route through the park and arrived at her studio with extra time to spare. She unlocked the doors and switched on the lights to the classroom before placing her belongings in her office and sending a text to Ben, she was thankful that he had reduced his hours slightly recently, which meant he got home considerably earlier.

_Could you come by the studio when you leave work? 2:30_

She put her phone away and returned to the classroom to begin to set up the easels around the room. She heard the door to the studio open behind her while she was midway through dragging a heavier easel out and simply called out to the person; “I’ll be with you in a moment!” and grunted as she continued to drag out equipment.

“Rey?” She heard Jyn say as she walked into the classroom. “I came a bit earlier just in case you need any help?” She asked the puffed out woman cautiously. Much to Rey’s chagrin, that was all it took for her to burst into tears. “Rey whats wrong?” Jyn asked in concern as she enveloped the younger woman in a hug.

“Oh god, i’m sorry.” Rey sobbed into her shoulder as Jyn led her over to a seat. “You’re my client this is so unprofessional.”

“Don’t be silly. Do you have any tissues?” Jyn asked her as she looked around the classroom. Rey nodded towards her office and once Jyn had returned with the box of tissues she sat down next to Rey and gave them to her. “What’s going on, Rey?” Jyn urged her quietly.

“Just so much going on and what feels like so little time to do it in.” Rey told her as she dabbed the tissue to her eyes. “But at the same time I feel like i’m completely overreacting about things.”

“You know that’s not true. You’re pregnant, it’s perfectly understandable that you feel a little overwhelmed with everything that’s going on.” Jyn comforted her. “What’s the biggest thing you’re worried about? Is it the birth or getting things ready?”

“It’s all overlapping, Jyn. I’m struggling with my body changing. Weird things are happening to me,” Rey said and choked out a laugh. “I started leaking milk this morning and I had no idea that was going to happen and I _should_ have known that. And then the extra weight means I’m tiring easily. God knows _what_ i’m doing to do about the studio when I get even bigger and after I give birth. I don’t want to shut the doors for an unknown amount of time. The studio itself is my first baby, the idea of just shutting it is devastating to me.” she dissolved into tears again at speaking the last part aloud.

“Okay, breathe honey. Those are all completely legitimate concerns you have, Rey. I would have been shocked if you _hadn’t_ found all of this hard to deal with. Most people your age have maternity leave sorted for them, you own your own business!” Jyn told her seriously as she offered Rey another tissue. “I remember breaking down over my eldest son breaking a jar of peanut butter when I was pregnant with his sister. Cassian came home to me sobbing into a tub of ice cream on multiple occasions.” Jyn reminisced with a grin on her face. “The youngest is in college now so I feel like I can finally laugh about it. Give yourself 18 years and you will be too. Pregnancy hormones are a bitch Rey, but they’re harder on some people than they are on others.”

This made Rey laugh, the thought of a much younger Jyn having a meltdown over a toddler and a jar of peanut butter made her feel much better about her own predicament. She nodded at Jyns last sentence, she always knew the hormones would be hard but she never realised just how hard it would be to tell whether you were overreacting about something or not. The conversation stilled for a moment as the women sat in a comfortable silence.

“Rey, have you thought about renting the studio out while you’re on maternity leave?” Jyn suggested once Rey had calmed down a little more. “You could advertise and set up a short lease to someone of your choosing and it means the doors are still open to people who would like to take classes and money is still coming in.”

Rey thought about it for a minute. That certainly wasn’t a bad idea, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it herself. Like Jyn said, at least the doors were open and made an income. She could have kissed her!

Rey threw her arms around Jyn and hugged her tightly, hopeful that it said everything that was going through her mind at that moment. “Oh Jyn, I could kiss you!” Rey exclaimed.

“Well, I appreciate the hug but maybe don’t kiss me as it looks like your husband is about to walk in.” She winked as she returned the hug and patted Rey’s back.

 _Oh crap_ , she thought. _Ben. He must have worried when he got my text._ Rey forgot that most of the people that took her classes had learnt to recognise Ben after he sometimes came to greet her at the tail end of the classes that ended before their lunches together. She laughed at Jyns response as the door to the studio opened and Ben walked in with concern written across his stoic face. When their eyes met, his softened and he smiled softly. “I’ll leave you to it,” Jyn said quietly. She exchanged a brief greeting with Ben and went to sit at one of the desks until it was time for class.

“Hey you, what are you doing here?” she smiled brightly at her husband as he approached her.

“You’ve been crying,” he stated, his eyes full of worry. “Has something happened?”

“No.” She told him. He looked at her in that way only he did when he didn’t believe something she told him. “Yes.” she sighed, “But I think Jyn has helped me reach a decision.” She took his hand and led him to her office where she explained about the morning that led to her meltdown in Jyn’s arms.

Once Rey was finished, Ben wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. He rested his chin on her head and felt her relax into him. “You should have called, Rey. I’d have come home.”

“You can’t come home whenever your wife has a breakdown because her boobs leak a little, Ben.” She rolled her eyes at how ridiculous that sounded.

“That’s not what happened and you know it, Rey,” he scolded her.

He knew better than anyone that his wife didn’t give herself an easy time and Ben hated it, but he’d drop it for now. “So you’re going to rent the studio out while you’re on maternity leave?” he leaned on the edge of her desk and crossed his arms.

Rey nodded. “I think that’s the best way to go. It means i don’t need to decide right now how long I’d like to be away for, until we get used to life as a family of three at least.”

“It’s a good idea, i’m jealous I didn’t think about it. I could’ve bartered for sexual favours,” he grinned, showing off his slightly elongated canines. “How are you going to find someone to take over?”

She raised her eyebrows. “We’re married, dear, not friends with benefits.” Rey thought back to her conversation with Jyn and an idea came to mind. “I have an idea, but I’d need to speak to Jyn about it first.”

Ben nodded, seeing where she was going with it. Rey had told him about Jyn in the past, from their shared love of art to Jyns help during the earlier stages of Rey’s pregnancy. The couple could hear the sound of quiet conversation drifting into the office, signalling that Rey’s other students were beginning to arrive. “I’ve got the rest of the afternoon off, do you mind if I stay and work in here until you’re done?” he asked her.

“Only if you behave yourself while i’m gone Mr Solo,” she said flirtatiously.

“Me? Misbehave? I’m insulted Mrs Solo.” Ben gasped in mock horror.

“We went to school together Mr Solo, you’ll have to do better than that if you expect to convince me.” She kissed him chastely and walked backwards to the door with a cheeky grin on her face.

 _She’s going to kill me._ Ben thought to himself as he set up his laptop on her desk

 

* * *

 

“I’ll see you next week, no class this Thursday, don’t forget!” Rey called as everyone got ready to leave. “Jyn, could I see you before you leave?” The older lady nodded with a smile and made her way over.

They waited as the classroom emptied and Rey began to speak. “I just wanted to say thank you for coming to my rescue this afternoon, I really appreciate you being there,” Rey told her with a smile.

“Anytime, Rey. As I’ve told you before, I’ve been pregnant, I know how difficult it can be on someone especially when it's your first.” Jyn patted Rey on her upper arm in reassurance. “It's okay if you feel overwhelmed sometimes. But if you need anything, even if it's just a coffee I left my number on a piece of paper.” She handed over the folded up piece of paper and prepared to leave.

Rey smiled at Jyns thoughtfulness. “Thank you so much Jyn, I’d like to take you up on that. I also have something a bit more important to ask, but it's okay if you say no. It's a lot of pressure.”

Jyn nodded “I’m all ears.” She straightened the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

“How would you feel if I asked if you’d like to take over from me during my maternity leave? I know you said your youngest has just left for college and it said on your initial application for the class you’ve got a lot of spare time now you’ve cut down your work hours,” Rey asked her hopefully. “You’ve got a background in art and I know you used to be a high school art teacher. You wouldn’t have to take my classes, you could create your own. The only thing I ask is that you treat the studio as your own during the time I’m away.”

Jyn stood there in a stunned silence. “Rey, I don’t know what to say,” she finally replied.

“You don’t need to give me an answer right now,” Rey added on quickly. “I’m not planning on going anywhere at least until my last trimester starts.”

Jyn nods. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to think about it and talk it through with my husband before giving you my answer,” she told Rey kindly. “But I just have to say thank you for trusting me and for thinking of me first.”

“Absolutely, of course talk it through with your husband.” Rey quickly tore off a section of a sheet of lined paper and wrote down her number on it. “Here's my number if you make a decision before next week.” She handed it to Jyn. “And i can't think of anyone more qualified than you.

“I’ll talk to him tonight and I will hopefully have an answer for you in the next few days,” Jyn told her. “Remember what I told you earlier, if you need anything just pick up the phone.” She smiled at Rey in a way that reminded her of Amilyn.

The friends said goodbye and Rey locked up after Jyn left, pulling the blinds down as she went. She started to put the easels away and almost instantly felt the presence of her husband in the doorway.

“Rey,” he scolded as he took the easel off of her. “You should have called me, I can do this. You wash up the palettes.” Usually Rey would argue with him, however she had learnt that the bigger she got, the more Ben would insist he took over. He only wanted what was best for her and their baby, no matter how stubborn she was.

“Thank you.” she said as she collected everything that needed washing.

Ben finished putting the easels away and joined her by the sink. He rolled up his sleeves and took the bits that she had already washed and began to dry them as they stood in a comfortable silence.

“Did you ask her? Ben asked in a low timbre.

“I did,” Rey responded. “She’s going to think about it and get back to me. I hope she says yes, I can’t imagine anyone more suited for the job.”

“And you know her, I think she’s quite a trustworthy character.” Ben replied as she handed him another palette. One of the things Rey loved about Ben was his excellent judge of character. If Ben said someone could be trusted, he was hardly ever wrong.

Once they had finished cleaning up, they collected their belongings and locked up. Ben took her hand and they strolled home through the park in the sunshine. Rey felt considerably better than she did during her walk to the studio. She felt like a massive weight had been removed from her shoulders now that Jyn had helped her reach a solution for the studio.

“Can we get ice cream?” Rey asked Ben sweetly. “I’m craving something sweet”

“Of course, I think after the day you’ve had its well deserved.” They approached the ice cream van and Ben turned back to her. “What flavour do you want, sweetheart?”

“I can’t decide. I want something sweet but something salty.” Rey replied, biting her lip.

Ben scoured the board on the side of the van and tried to figure out what Rey could have that would satisfy both cravings. “What about peanut butter or salted caramel?”

They ended up getting both flavours. Rey tried both and decided the peanut butter one satisfied her cravings in this instance, while Ben took the salted caramel one.

They linked their hands again and continued on their walk home.

 

* * *

 

It was two days later when Rey heard from Jyn. She and Ben were having dinner when her phone rang. She had put Jyns number in her phone on Tuesday so she knew who was calling.

“Jyns calling”, Rey announced to Ben as she pushed her chair back and stood up. “Hello?” Rey answered.

“Hi Rey, it's Jyn,” came the soft reply of her friend. “How are you today?”

Rey smiled. When it came to Jyn, the first thing she usually checks is how Rey is feeling. “I’m fine, thank you. Much better than Tuesday that’s for sure.” She was pacing around the kitchen nervously. “How are you?”

“I’m doing well. I was just calling you to give you an answer to your very generous offer.” Rey paused, her breath bated. “Cassian and I spoke about it and I’ve decided I would like to take you up on it. It’s a very ideal opportunity.” Rey almost jumped for joy.

“That’s wonderful Jyn, thank you so much!” Rey replied excitedly. “I really appreciate knowing that my studio will be in safe hands with you.”

“Would you like to meet up at some point and go through some plans with me?” Jyn asked, “I’d really like to know you have given the okay for the ideas I have and we can discuss the contract and rent.”

“Absolutely, would Tuesday morning work for you? We could meet before I set up the studio for class.” She suggested.

They agreed on their meeting time and hung up. Rey put her phone on the table and threw her arms around Ben, feeling giddy with excitement. “She’s said yes, all we need to do is work out contract and class details.”

Ben smiled, he loved seeing Rey glowing with excitement. “That’s fantastic, and one less thing for you to worry about.” He picked her up, making her squeal and placed her on the kitchen counter and moving to stand between her legs.

He pressed himself against her, his stomach to his chest and leaned his forehead against hers. His breath was warming her lips, she could almost taste him they were so close. He kissed her deeply and in response she wrapped her arms around his neck, almost pulling him closer. He placed his hands on either side of her thighs and rubbed them up and down from her stomach to her hips.

They stood there for what felt like hours, kissing and murmuring sweet nothings to each other. Ben opened his eyes and looked into deep pools of caramel. “I Lo-” he was cut off when he felt a small movement against his chest. His eyes widened as he looked from his chest to Rey’s stomach. “Did they just...” He trailed off.

Rey removed her arms from his neck and took his hands in hers and placed them directly on her bump. He pushed it in gently just in case the movement triggered a movement back. They stood there talking amongst themselves for a moment, hoping that the sound of their voices would encourage their child to move again so Ben could finally feel them.

Rey had been feeling the small fluttering feelings of their baby’s kicks for the last month, she knew Ben had been waiting for the day that their child was strong enough for him to feel their presence. As he told Amilyn, he had been talking to their child every night before bed. He told them about their mommy and daddy, how much they loved them and he told them about their grandparents and the life they had planned for them. Rey often fell asleep to the sound of him singing to them quietly.

It wasn’t long before their child moved again, this time Ben felt it. He looked up at Rey with pure love and awe in his eyes as he pressed his hand gently against Rey’s bump and their little one responded to his movements with their own. She wasn’t expecting to see her stoic husband with tears in his eyes as he bonded with their child.


	10. Eggplant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The couple realise how many people they hate when they try to come up with some baby names, Rey and Amilyn finalise her birthing plan and Ben gets some early practice when it comes to looking after a child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. I may have added another chapter. Seriously, please stop encouraging me or I will never end this story! (I'm looking at you Buni!)
> 
> Thank you to the lovely Buni as usual for her prompt and productive betaing skills and her beautiful moodboard <3
> 
> Remember; Every comment provides me with the urge to keep writing, so.. Keep going ;D

 

Rey let out an exasperated sigh as she turned and looked at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

_2:25am._ It was not unusual for her to be lying awake at this time recently.

She was now 28 weeks pregnant and had entered her third trimester. As her baby grew comfortably inside her, she too grew uncomfortably on the outside. Her increasing size and sore body meant that getting comfortable enough to sleep was limiting the amount of sleep she was actually getting, even when laying on her side as Amilyn advised. At the present, her child was pressing against her ribs with the odd well placed kick.

“I was right, you're going to be just like your father,” she grumbled. Rey yawned into the back of her hand and sat herself up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She rubbed her eyes and decided to get up.

Rey had found herself with a lot of time on her hands lately. Jyn had now taken over at the studio. They had worked out a 6-month plan that worked for the both of them and Rey had decided that if it worked out, she would seriously look into hiring Jyn as a teacher when she returned to work.

She quietly left the room and shuffled into her office. She was at a loss of what to do with herself now she had no plans to sketch out. She _could_ get started on painting the nursery but she knew that Ben wanted them to do it together.

She found a pair of knitting needles and some wool sticking out of one of her craft boxes along with a book that Leia has lent her. Earlier on in her pregnancy, Leia had tried to teach her to knit to help her relax, however it didn’t quite work out the way either of them had hoped and it simply frustrated Rey even more.

Rey picked it all up and went downstairs to the lounge, switched the lamp on and curled up in the armchair with a blanket and got to work. By the time 4am came, Rey had managed to get the knack of the stitches, thanks to a few YouTube videos.

She had decided to try and create a small pair of baby socks, it seemed simple enough for a beginner and they may even be used if they ended up being good enough.

By the time 5am came, Rey was exhausted and could barely keep her eyes open. She left her things on the coffee table and retreated back to bed with Ben and finally fell into a deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

“What about Ren for a boy?” Ben suggested.

“As in the bird?” Rey scrunched up her nose. “I’m not keen on naming them after a bird Ben.”

“R-E-N, like Kylo Ren.” He spelt out for her.

“I don’t know, it’s a bit too close to your name isn’t it? it could get confusing. And then there’s the fact I shout your name when we...” she trailed off.

The couple spent the evening before their next appointment with Amilyn discussing birthing plans, pouring over some ideas for baby names and not having the best luck. Ben had given up looking through the name book he had bought and instead had his laptop balanced on his lap.

"Oh, god." Ben shut his eyes tightly. “Christ, you’re right. What about William?” He countered, a name far away from either of theirs.

Rey shook her head. “Too British.” She replied. “What about David?” She asked him.

“Absolutely not,” He told her adamantly. “It reminds me of that guy in your pottery class in college that kept trying to get into your pants.” Ben frowned deeply.

Rey raised her eyebrow at him. “Are you really still holding onto that?”

“I’m going to say one word,” he warned her. “Bazine.”

Rey replicated his frown. “On second thoughts, say no more.”  

It turned out, they couple never really realised how many people they hated until they had to think of baby names.

Ben groaned. “Couldn’t we just let them decide their own name when they’re old enough?” He joked as he leaned his head onto her shoulder. “Or just name them after a Pokemon. I’ve got nothing against Charmander.”

Rey snorted at his suggestion. “I’m Rey, this is my husband Ben and our child Charmander Solo. I don’t know Ben, I don’t think it’s got a ring to it.” She laughed at the mental picture it left her with.

He grinned, her melodic laugh never failed to make his heart beat that little bit faster. “What about Violet for a girl?”

Rey hummed thoughtfully. “I like Violet, I think it goes well with Solo.” She said finally. She wrote it down onto their maybe list.

By the time they were done for the evening, they had a small handful of names for each sex, they decided on narrowing each list down during the remainder of Rey’s pregnancy.

 

* * *

 

After another sleepless night, Rey and Ben made their way to Amilyns clinic for their appointment after Ben had finished work. Rey still could not believe that there was only three more appointments, including one ultrasound left until she gave birth.

She had compiled a list of as many considerations she could think of for her birthing plan as well as a list of questions she had for Amilyn.

She laid her head on Ben's shoulder as they waited. The weight of the pregnancy was beginning to make her as tired as she felt in the early stages, just without the capability of being able to sleep.

She had almost drifted off when Amilyn called them in. Ben helped Rey up from the chair and they followed her along the narrow corridor to her office.

“You’re looking well, Rey. How are you feeling? Amilyn asked as she opened her notes.

“I’m feeling a bit like i’ve been hit by a truck.” Rey replied honestly. “Things have sped up in the last four weeks.”

“Oh?”

“I haven’t been sleeping well since I’ve gotten bigger. Between my bump and this child playing my ribs like a xylophone at all times of the night I just cannot get comfortable.”

“That’s a common problem among heavily pregnant ladies unfortunately. Have you tried a pregnancy pillow?” Amilyn asked her as if it common knowledge.

Rey blinked. “I... no, I didn’t even think of using one actually.” She rubbed her eyes tiredly.

Amilyn eyed her worriedly. “It’s fine, dear. Baby brain is a real thing.” She told Rey and winked. “But do try and buy one today. As difficult as it is, you need sleep.”

Rey nodded, not really sure what to say in response.

“Have you had any new symptoms since your last appointment?”

“A few headaches, I’ve had a bit of swelling in my feet but you already knew about that.” Rey thought through the past few weeks. “My breasts did start leaking but they’ve since stopped. And a few mood swings.” She shrugged.

“How many headaches would you say you have on an average week, Rey?” Amilyn asked, a frown had appeared on her face.

“Um... Maybe two or three?” Rey replied, beginning to worry at Amilyn’s sudden seriousness. “Less now since I’m on maternity leave.” she added.

“Okay. It is probably just nothing but I’ll be a bit more sure once we’ve checked your blood pressure and urine results. Most headaches in pregnancy are due to stress or hormones but sometimes we do get unlucky women developing preeclampsia.” Amilyn smiled reassuringly as Rey turned to look at Ben in panic who squeezed her hand gently. “Try not to panic, its just precaution. I will do my observations now, and then we can work on your birth plan afterwards.”

Amilyn sent Rey to pee in a cup and once she was back she slipped the blood pressure cuff onto her arm as she had every other visit and pressed the start button. While the machine worked, Amilyn tested the sample. She didn’t speak when she got the result, only walked back over to her desk to look at the reading on the blood pressure monitor.

“Well, I can’t see anything to worry about, Rey,” Amilyn told her. “I’m sorry if i worried you, it’s just a precaution that we take whenever someone who doesn’t usually suffer with recurrent headaches presents with them frequently during the later stages of pregnancy along with swelling, especially when it's your first.”

“No, that’s fine. It’s fine, I’d rather you checked.” Rey told her as she ran her hands over her legs nervously. “I just worry.”

“Would you mind hopping up onto the bed and lifting your shirt so I can measure you again? You may need to unbutton your jeans now you’re a little bigger too.”  Amilyn asked. Ben looked on inquisitively as Rey got up onto the bed and rested back against the pillows. “How active is baby now Rey?”

“They’re pretty active, their favorite time is the early evening after dinner.” Rey answered with a smile.

Amilyn laughed. “Yes, that sounds about right.” She looked behind her as Rey shuffled her clothing around. “I hope you’ve felt them moving now, Ben?”

He nodded and grinned. “Yeah, I have for a few weeks now. They quite like the sound of our voices.”

“No, they like the sound of _yours,_ mine seems to make them want to sleep.” Rey corrects him.

“Well, neither is a bad thing!” The OB/GYN said as she began to palpate Rey’s stomach. “At 28 weeks it’s important for you to know how often your baby is moving. We like people to sit quietly and count how often their baby moves twice a day. Once in the morning when they may be less active, and once in the evening when they may be much more active - like your baby,” she explained. “So you can easily tell if something isn’t right such as if they’re moving less frequently or not at all.”

“What happens if they move less frequently or I don’t feel them move at all?” Rey asked, curiously.

“You call us straight away if you have any concerns, no matter how small.” Amilyn told her seriously. “We take every mother’s concern seriously, and in most cases we’ll ask you to come in for a scan just so we can double check baby is okay.”

Amilyn began to measure Rey’s stomach as she spoke again. “Bear in mind though that your baby’s movements will change as it gets bigger, and sometimes reduced movements just mean your baby is sleeping. But never take that for granted.”

“No, I won’t.” Rey shook her head. “I’ll start monitoring them a bit more closely.”

Amilyn simply smiled in response. She finished measuring and allowed Rey to sit up. “I’m pleased with your progress. I would say they’re still a little bigger than average, but not big enough that I would worry.”

Rey pulled her top back down and buttoned her jeans back up. She hopped off of the bed and walked back across to her seat next to Ben. Amilyn was writing her notes down in her file and the room was filled with a comfortable silence.

“Do you have any specific preferences in mind for when you give birth, Rey?” The statuesque woman asked as they started Rey’s birth plan. “I should warn you beforehand though that you need to be flexible. While we make a plan sometimes it’s not possible to stick to it.”

Rey nodded. She knew the most important thing was the safety of her and their baby. “Ideally, I would like as little intervention as possible,” she told her. “I’d like to do it naturally but I wouldn’t say no to gas and air.”

“I’m just going to go through things one by one to make sure we don’t miss anything.” Amilyn Said. “I assume Ben is going to be your birthing partner?”

Rey nodded and tightened her grip on his hand. “Am I only allowed the one person in with me?”

Amilyn smiled. “It depends whether you’re having a hospital or birthing centre birth or a home birth. Obviously being at home is more of a relaxed setting but we still prefer to limit it to 3 people maximum.”

Rey bit her lip. “I think since this is my first I’d like to be here at the birthing centre just in case anything happened. I would appreciate it if our moms could be with us but I understand if they can’t.”

She watched as Amilyn took notes. “I will see what I can do, but I cannot promise anything.” Amilyn said kindly.

“You said you’d like gas and air if it came to it?” She pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose as she addressed Rey.

Rey nodded again. “I’ve heard stories where some moms don’t remember the birth and I’d hate for that to happen.”

Once they had finished, they had a solid plan to work with. Rey was hoping to give birth at Amilyn’s birthing centre with Ben (and maybe their moms) with her. Depending on how she coped with pain she wanted only gas and air and the use of an exercise ball. After giving birth she planned on breastfeeding their child, hoping that they would latch on quickly. Ben would cut the cord, and would be the first to touch their child.

“Will you be there?” Rey asked nervously. She had gotten quite attached to her OB/GYN in the past 6 months.

“I can be,” Amilyn said. “It depends on if it is my day off or not but since I know you both personally I may be able to come in as soon as possible if you tell me when you go into labour.” She wrote down her work and personal phone numbers and made sure that she was listed on Rey's birth plan. “Since this is a small clinic, it’s highly likely that I will be the on call doctor at the time anyway, but here are my numbers just in case. If you lose one just ask Leia. I think she knows them both off by heart now.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it. I’m getting nervous about it all now,” Rey admitted to her.

Amilyn smiled reassuringly. “That’s natural, giving birth is a scary thing if you have not done it before and don’t know what to expect. Do you have any questions?”

Rey played with her hands nervously. “How likely is it I will need a c-section?”

Amilyn took off her glasses and clasped her hands in front of her. “It is not as likely, you are young and everything I have seen so far indicates you’re on track for a healthy delivery. However, it’s not always guaranteed. 32% of births are by caesarean section but many of those are optional and planned for whatever reason. There are stages between a normal labour and a C-Section. Does that help?”

Rey nodded. “Yes, it does. Thank you. Will we be allowed home on the same day?”

“It depends how straight forward your labour is, how you both do after delivery and what time you come in to us. Some moms find they’re comfortable staying with us a little longer so the help is there if you need it.”

Rey took in everything Amilyn had told her. She was conscious of Ben, ever the studious man, quickly writing things down beside her.

“Have you looked into any antenatal classes yet, Rey?” Amilyn asked.

“We’ve been meaning to but just kept losing track of time.” Rey replied awkwardly.

“We recommend that you start them in your last 8-10 weeks of pregnancy,” Amilyn said as she rummage through her drawer, pulling out a leaflet. “But you should book something now as they do get booked up quickly. It is a great way to meet other people due around the same time as you as well as being able to learn a bit more about what to expect from labour and the first days after your baby is born.”

Rey was beginning to feel like a bobble head with all the nodding she was doing. Amilyn spoke again, this time aimed at Ben as well. “Some are for women only, but most welcome partners if you were hoping to take Ben along with you.”

“I’d like to go,” Ben spoke up from beside her. “I want to learn how I am support Rey through the birth.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Amilyn circled the groups that included partners in their classes on the leaflets and handed them to Rey. “I’m sorry today has been so intense,” she apologised. “I just want to prepare you as best I can in the time we have.”

The couple left the appointment with heads swimming with the information that they had been given. They booked their 32 week scan on the way out of the clinic and decided to heed her advice and buy Rey a pregnancy pillow before heading home.

 

* * *

 

“What kind of pillow are you looking for?” Ben asked her as they scoured the catalogues in the store.

“These ones look good.” Rey said as she lifted up the book to show him. She was pointing to a long horseshoe shaped pillow with contours for her bump to nestle in comfortably.

Ben nodded and wrote the item number of the pillow down along with a few other items and went to order while Rey took the time to look around the store a bit more.

She soon felt the arms of her husband wrap around her waist as she was looking at blankets. “We have a 30-minute wait,” he told her. “Do you want to have a walk around the mall?”

Rey nodded. He kissed the junction of her neck and shoulder as he removed his arms from her waist, instead taking her hand and the left the store.

They decided to look around a maternity clothes shop a few units along while they waited, not wanting to go too far.

As Rey was flicking through the clothes, after a while her attention was caught by the quiet sobs of a child they couldn’t quite see. Ben and Rey looked at each other in equal confusion and concern. They looked around the various shelving and clothing racks but with no avail.

“Ben!” Rey whispered urgently to him as she pointed to the bottom of a circular rack of clothes she was stood in front of.

He quietly knelt down and pushed a gap in between the clothing and came face to face with a small girl no more than the age of 5. “Hey Sweetheart, everything okay? Where’s your mom?” Ben asked her gently.

The girl shook her head, her wavy light blonde hair hiding her face, and shrugged.

“Can you tell me your name?” Rey asked as she bent down next to Ben. “We just want to help you find your mommy.”

“Luna.” The little girl replied shyly as she looked down at the floor.

Ben smiled softly at her. Luna was the perfect name for the child. Her bright, almost white, blonde hair couldn’t help but remind Ben of the moon. “That’s a beautiful name, my names Ben and this is Rey. Let’s get you out of there hey?” Ben offered Luna his hand which she promptly took. His large one swamped her tiny one as he helped her out of the hiding place she had found.

“Where did you last see your mom, Luna?” Rey asked her.

Luna shrugged again. “I don’t know.” She mumbled.

“Why don’t you stay here with Ben, Luna, and I will go and find someone to help us find your mom okay?” Rey said her soothingly.

The little girl nodded and kept hold of Ben's hand as Rey left to find a store assistant.

“Do you think she’s gone home?” she quietly asked Ben.

“No, I don’t think she would have left you here sweetheart,” Ben reassured her. “She’s probably looking for you too.”

 

* * *

“Hi, we’ve found a little girl wandering by herself. Has anyone lost a child?” Rey asked the first store assistant she found.

“Oh, no.” The store assistant replied apathetically as she briefly looked up from her book, “no one's come to us about a lost child.”

Rey frowned. “Well my husband is with the child at the moment. Could we bring her to you?”

“We don’t take lost children, ma’am. Your best bet is to take her to the security station downstairs.” The woman continued to look down at her book.

Fury seeped through Rey. “Let me get this straight, you’re not just allowing it, but you’re suggesting two strangers leave a shop with a child that is not theirs where they could do who knows what with her?” she demanded.

The woman sighed and looked up up from her book again. “You look trustworthy.” She told Rey.

Rey couldn’t help but think that the only way the woman could look like she gave less of a shit is if she was chewing a wad of gum or held up a sign as she spoke. She shook her head at the assistant in disgust and simply replied “enjoy your book” as she stomped back to find Ben and Luna. She was certainly not bringing their child there in future if they were willing to let just anyone leave the premises with them.

When she found them again, she saw that Ben had picked Luna up and they were making the most of his height and looking over the store units to see if their could find her mother. Luna had become more animated as she relaxed around Ben, who responded to whatever she was telling him with a laugh as she continued to play with his glasses . He caught Rey’s eye and pointed at her as she approached them.

“Any luck?” He asked her.

She shook her head. “No, and they clearly couldn’t care less. The assistant told me we need to take her downstairs to security.”

Ben frowned at her response, clearly as surprised as she was but chose not to say anything lest the small girl in his arms heard it.

“Luna, if we take you for a little walk do you think you’d be able to point out your mommy if you spot her?” Ben asked, clearly happy to keep holding her in his arms.

The small girl nodded enthusiastically. Rey smiled at the two of them. As they walked. she listened to Luna tell Ben about her mother in as much detail as a 5 year old could.

They were heading downstairs on an escalator when Luna began to wiggle in Ben’s arms and exclaimed at the top of her small voice: “There, Ben! There!” She pointed to a frantic and similarly blonde woman who had turned around at the sound of her daughter’s voice. “Mommy!”

“Luna!” Shouted the woman as she rushed toward them as quickly as she could.

When she met them at the foot of the escalator she rushed towards her daughter as Ben placed her on the ground and she took her in her arms.

“Luna!” She scolded, “you must never run away from me like that! Something could have happened to you, I was very worried!

Luna’s lip quivered and she burst into tears at her mother's raised voice. “I’m sorry Mommy, I won’t do it again.”

As Luna calmed down, the woman released her from her hug and wiped her own and her daughter's tears. Rey was not a short woman however she could not help but feel that way when Luna’s mother stood up to her full height.

“Who are you?” She asked as she looked at the couple scathingly. Ben couldn’t blame her, they were strangers holding onto her missing daughter after all.  

“That’s Ben, mommy! He found me in the clothes!” Luna announced happily.

Ben chuckled at the girls explanation. “Well, she isn’t wrong. This is my wife Rey, we were shopping in the maternity workshop upstairs when we heard her crying from inside a rack of clothes.” He explained. “We were just heading to the security station and thought we may be able to spot you on our way there.”

Without warning the woman rushed towards them and engulfed them both in a hug. She quickly let them go and opened and closed her mouth several times.

“Thank you,” She said as she wiped her face again. “I’m sorry, erm, I’m Gwen.” She extended her hand to both of them and Rey realised as the woman spoke that she was British.

“It’s no trouble. We would want someone to do the same if our child gets lost one day.” Rey told her kindly.

Clearly a woman of few words, Gwen smiled knowingly. She looked down to her daughter. “What do we say, Luna?”

“Thank you!” She shouted and grabbed hold of one of Ben's leg in her own hug.

Rey couldn’t help but snort in amusement as Ben attempted to pat her on her back. “You’re welcome Luna.” He said quietly.

Rey had always known Ben was going to make a great father, but the way she saw him act with Luna cemented it.

The families said their goodbyes and the Solos headed back to collect their shopping and go home. Rey quietly hoped as they drove home that the pillow helped her to sleep as much as Amilyn said it would.


	11. Squash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “OW!” Rey yelped suddenly, laying her hand on her stomach. The 6 friends looked to her with panicked expressions, Rose and Finn had got to their feet in anticipation of something being wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11 is here! I'm sorry its a little late, we've had a bereavement in my close family so I haven't been feeling much like writing fluffy things. 
> 
> The good news is that we're not far off meeting baby Solo! Any guesses for sex/names?
> 
> Thank you to the lovely Buni for being my amazing beta, and for this beautiful moodboard <3

Rey had decided that the next time she saw Amilyn Holdo, she was going to kiss her. She had recommended during their last prenatal appointment that Rey should buy herself a pregnancy pillow to help her get comfortable enough to get a good night sleep. And in the last four weeks she had slept like a baby. Or at least, she hoped that their baby would sleep as well. 

Rey was now 32 weeks pregnant and she  _ felt it.  _ Her stomach was now expanding almost by the day, and if that wasn’t restricting her movement enough, the high position of her baby was making sure she was constantly short of breath. Her routine of daily yoga was completely out of the question now and she felt like she resembled the old wives tale of  _ swallowing a watermelon seed. _

Rey was beginning to get nervous about the baby’s impending arrival. She had started to get practice contractions when she was too active - which, thanks to their research, meant a calm phone call to Amilyn from Ben, ensuring they were just Braxton Hicks and not  _ real  _ contractions.  

Amilyn reassured them that, as they were just uncomfortable and not painless, they were almost certainly Braxton Hicks - that labour was not about to start, but that they needed to time and keep an eye on them.

After their last antenatal appointment with Amilyn, Rey booked herself and Ben into their antenatal classes. Rey appreciated the idea of meeting other moms that were due within a few weeks of her, as well as learning more about the labour processes and about how breastfeeding worked. She knew Ben was serious about learning how to support her in any way he could. They also worked on relaxation methods that she could use during the rest of her pregnancy and labour to help her stay relaxed and calm.

The night before their first class, they decided it was time that they began decorating their nursery. Rey went to buy the paint while Ben was working, they had decided on a medium shade of grey on three walls and white on the wall that reflected the light from the window. While she was waiting for Ben to come home she had started creating the stencils for the animals she was going to paint on the walls once they were dry.

All of the furniture had been delivered and was arranged in flat pack boxes against the wall in the empty room at the moment. Rey couldn’t wait to see it all put together and finished. As well as their nursery furniture, Ben had also bought a reclining armchair for their own bedroom for the first few weeks, when their baby would be sleeping in a Moses basket beside their bed.  _ He really has thought of everything _ , Rey mused.

An hour after she started, Ben arrived home from work. “Hi baby,” he breathed into her hair as he watched her carefully draw an outline of a lion. “How are you feeling?” He asked.

She turned her head and chastely kissed him on the lips and leaned her head back onto his chest. “I feel like a hippo that’s had a big lunch.” She whined as she looked up at him.

He chuckled at her and bent down to return her kiss. “Sweetheart, you’re not a hippo. You’re just.. carrying important cargo.” He tried to appease her.

Rey smiled sweetly, she leaned her hands on her desk and pushed herself up onto her feet and groaned. “How was work?” She asked him as they left her study and went into their bedroom so Ben could change.

He sighed dramatically, “The usual. People come in, expect you to finish their 20 years of finances instantly and leave in a shitty mood when you can’t.” He grumbled as he pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt.

“Rather you than me,” she said as she relaxed into the bed. “Not long to go though and you get a little holiday.” She grinned.

“Holiday? You realise we’re going to be at the mercy of a tiny monster, yes?” he joked.

Rey gasped, she cradled her stomach and pouted. “It’s okay baby, Daddy doesn’t mean it.” She says to her bump. 

Ben walked towards her and rubbed her bump gently and leaned down towards it. “Ignore mommy baby, Daddy knows you’re taking after him.” He smirked up at Rey and kissed her stomach.

As if the child too realised their daddy was speaking to and fussing over them, they kicked excitedly.

“Oh god, it  _ is  _ a little monster!” Rey exclaimed with a laugh as she rubbed her stomach to soothe them.

Rey removed her shirt, she decided it was a good idea to wear one of Ben's old ones so she didn’t ruin any of her new clothes. At this point, it was either her maternity clothes or Ben’s clothing.

She looked back to find Ben watching her. His eyes dark with desire. She leaned back upwards to kiss him again, this time much deeper. She grasped his undershirt tightly as he reciprocated and pushed her gently towards the wall where he caged her in with an arm on either side of her head.

She helped him to pull his undershirt off and wound her arms around his neck, trying to pull him closer, however they were separated by the large bump between them.

“Bed?” He asked in a low timbre.

“Bed.” She confirmed as they moved towards the bed. 

  


* * *

 

They decided to order pizza to share as they painted the nursery. Ben put his phone into the dock and began to play the playlist he had with all of their favourite songs on.

“Ben, I know Amilyn said we should play the baby music but I’m not sure Motörhead is exactly what she meant.” Rey laughed as she was reminded of her ‘study sessions’ with a much younger, skinnier, pre-gym Ben, decked out in black clothing and black thick rimmed glasses.

“Hey, I’m educating our child.” Ben replied with a smirk. “I’ll be damned if Finn and Rose have them listening to Ed Sheeran.”

Rey shook her head and began rolling grey paint onto the walls, humming and swaying to the music.

They worked as the sun went down and they had been painting for 3 hours when they finally stopped to admire their handiwork. They had applied generous coats of paint to all three walls, Rey had decided to paint her animals on the one solitary white wall and leave the grey walls bare. They could hang frames and photos instead.

Ben looked at his watch and saw it was just past 9:30. He decided to get started on building some of the furniture while Rey finished designing her stencils. They worked in silence for the exception of Rey singing softly to Panic! At The Disco.

By the time 11pm came, they were exhausted. Ben has successfully built their crib and half of the wardrobe, Rey had finished cutting out the stencils and had fallen asleep in the armchair in their room while he constructed the wardrobe and needed the extra room.

He switched off the music, the lights and padded across the hall to their bedroom. His eyes paused on his wife and a small smile formed on his face. She looked so content but he knew he needed to move her lest she wake up feeling stiff and sore.

He pushed the duvet on the bed back and walked silently over to the chair. He gently put his arms under her back and legs and lifted her up carefully and carried her over to the bed, ensuring he placed her on her pillow.

“Ben,” she mumbled as she drowsily felt around the bed for him.

“Go back to sleep baby, I’ll be right there.” He told her. He quickly went down to the kitchen and grabbed her a glass of water to put by the bed. He stripped down to his boxers and got into bed beside her and was soon taken by sleep. 

  


* * *

 

Rey felt like her first antenatal class had been a success. The first session had introduced them to other parents to be, some that were parents already. Rey was pleased to realise that most occupants of the class were around her age give or take a few years.

They touched on the last stages of pregnancy, reconfirming what the couple already knew about things such as Rey's false contractions, and details about creating a birth plan to be shared with your OB/GYN or Midwife, but also mentioned things they hadn’t yet thought of such as making sure Rey had a bag packed by the front door so they were ready for any eventuality, and learning about to how to express milk not just how to breastfeed when it came to their hungry newborn.

They had four more classes booked before Rey gave birth. Each class would be focused on different areas. Today was pre-labour, and the next would be about learning about the different scenarios that could happen during labour as well as pain relief. Then came coping mechanisms, relaxation methods, and finally, post birth.

As the midwife went through the topics listed for each class, a brief wave of panic set in. There was a lot more to think about than she had considered, consciously at least. Rey had never been around a baby before, much less held one. They say that it comes instinctually but  _ how?! God what she drops their baby or holds it wrong? What if she can’t breastfeed? She’ll be a formula pariah in a room full of breastfeeders. _

As if picking up on her anxiety, Ben began to rub the back of the hand he was holding with his thumb which slowly relaxed her again. She began to rub the side of her stomach gently, wondering if the urge she felt to do it was the instinct she had heard so much about.

_ Okay,  _ she thought.  _ I’m being ridiculous, that’s what I’m here for now.  _ Over the course of the class, she relaxed slightly, knowing that she wasn’t the only one that was unsure. She saw a number of other moms to be that looked just as scared.

By the time the class was over, she had made many notes about things she wanted to research when she had a spare moment, as well as things she would need to stock up their medicine cabinet with. The idea of buying hemorrhoid creams made her blanch.  

When they got back, Ben sent Rey to lay down while he made dinner. She wasn’t prepared for how much the class wore her out.

Despite feeling tired, the rocking movements of their child made it difficult for her to get comfortable and she instead found herself looking through her phone.

In times of boredom, she sat and deleted things from her phone. Old photos that she had no use for, videos that have been backed up.

Rey frowned in confusion when she stumbled on a sound clip recorded a few months ago.  _ What is it? I don’t remember doing that.  _ She opened the file, expecting it to just be something she’d done while half asleep or while it was in her pocket. She instantly knew what it was when the sound of her child’s heartbeat filled her ears.

_ Ben’s sound clip.  _ She’d never even let him listen to it. She sat herself up, all tiredness leaving her as she decided to go and show him. However, as she slipped her clothes back on, an idea sprang to mind and she instead sat back down and opened google. 

  


* * *

 

“Holy shit! Rey you’re huge!” Poe yelled, pointing to her expanding stomach when she let them in.

“You know I barely noticed, Poe.” Rey replied dryly. “Anyway, come in and feel free to insult me some more.” She held out her arms as she spoke

Once a month the Solo’s hosted a pizza and game night. Much to their friends disappointment, this was probably going to be the last one before Rey gave birth as they were hoping to make the most of the quiet evenings to relax before it happened.

“Good one Poe, insult the hormonal pregnant lady why don’t you. I’ll be in the front row at your funeral.” Rose rolled her eyes at him and hugged Rey. “

“Ooh.” She grunted as a small hand or foot gently collided with her own stomach. “That’s new.” Rose looked at her friend in surprise and pointed to her stomach.

Rey laughed in response. “Eh, it’s not so new. My ribs certainly don’t feel that way, anyway Rosie.”

Rose grinned at her and sat down on the floor against Hux’s legs. “How's baby Reylo cooking?”

“Pretty well, they’re still bigger than average.” Rey told them, sneaking a glare at her husband.

“That’s a surprise?” Poe asked, his eyebrows both disappearing into his hair. “Solo is its father, that thing is going to come walking out of you!”

Finn kindly slapped the back of his head and Rey snorted. “Thanks for the vote of confidence Poe, really, thanks.”

“What are we playing first?” Ben asked, hoping to stop Poe from responding.

Rey stood up and turned to him. “Can we let you guys decide? I want to show Rose the nursery,” she asked. Rose followed suit, a wide grin spreading across her face.

“Sure sweetheart. I’m just about to order food anyway, spicy as usual?” he asked.

She bit her lip and thought about it. “No, I’m at the mercy of my heartburn so maybe just meaty toppings?”

Poe and Finn wolf-whistled at her answer, leave it to them to find the euphemism in her words. She shook her head as she grabbed Rose’s hand and dragged her upstairs.

“Honestly I’m not sure how Finn puts up with him,” Rose shook her head mimicking Rey.

“He has the patience of a saint, that’s how.” Rey replied.

They entered the partially decorated nursery. Rey had spent the afternoon beginning to draw on the outlines of the animals she had cut created onto the white wall.

Rose’s eyes flitted around to each of the four walls. “I love the colour! I know I was a bit surprised you were going for grey but it works so well with the solitary white wall.”

“During the day the sunlight will reflect off of it, so the grey won’t make it as dark as you would think.” Rey replied. She perched on the edge of the matching recliner they had in their own room.

“I admit, you were right about the baby shower theme too,” Rose added sheepishly. “The decorations match Leia’s living room perfectly.”

Rey frowned. “Leia’s living room? I thought you’d be doing it here?” she asked.

“We did originally too, but then Leia said it might be a good idea if we did it there instead. This way you could escape if you get tired and come back to a quiet house,” Rose said, “and with you preparing the house and everything..”

Rey tilted her head as she considered what her friend was saying. Well, she wasn’t wrong. “Huh, it seems that I need to thank you both,” she grinned. “You really have thought of everything!” She hugged her friend again, rocking back and forth. “Did you invite Jess Pava, the friend from high school i told you about?”

Rose nodded. “Yep, added on Facebook and invited her to the baby shower.”

“Thank you, Rose.” Rey smiled. She couldn’t wait to see what Rose and Leia had done for them. “Anyway I needed to tell you something, I wanted your opinion.” Rey started.

“I assumed so, but go on,” Rose replied curiously.

“So you know when you came to my check up a few months ago, we took that sound clip for Ben?” Rey asked.

“Yes..” Rose trailed off.

“Well I forgot about it and never showed him. I found it when I was going through my phone after our antenatal class the other day and went to show him, but decided otherwise.” Rey explained.  “I don’t know if you know that you can engrave soundwaves onto things? So I’ve ordered him a ring and sent off the sound clip. As maybe a ‘thank you for putting up with my hormonal ass for the last 9 months’ present, especially after Mother’s Day.”

Rose’s mouth dropped open at the elaborate gift. “That’s such a nice idea Rey, he’s doing to absolutely love it. But maybe use it as a ‘congrats you’re a dad’ gift instead, I mean he doesn’t  _ put up _ with you, he loves you. There’s a difference.” Rose told her kindly. “When are you going to give it to him?”

“I thought maybe after the birth.” She replied, smiling. “You know, when everything has calmed down.”

Rose’s response was cut off by the doorbell ringing out, letting them know that their food had arrived. They quickly headed back to the lounge where the boys had set up a game of Trivial Pursuit.

As they sat down, Ben and Hux brought the boxes of pizza in.

“Do i have any surprises in there this time, Rey?” Poe asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Well, I can’t speak for Ben but I haven’t poisoned it. And I’m not sure a baby would fit in there,” she sniffed.

They talked among themselves as they watched the tv and ate.

“OW!” Rey yelped suddenly, laying her hand on her stomach. The 6 friends looked to her with panicked expressions, Rose and Finn had got to their feet in anticipation of something being wrong. Rey and Ben simply carried on eating as if nothing had happened.

“Wa was dat?!” Poe shouted with a mouth full of food.

“I’m sorry! The baby kicked me in the tender part of my ribs,” Rey told them. “We’re used to it happening now.”

“Jesus Christ, Rey, I thought you’d gone into labour or something,” Finn sighed.

“No, don’t worry you’ll definitely know if that happens, Finn.” Rey said reassuringly. She swallowed her bite and closed her pizza box. “Are we all ready to play?” She asked.

 

* * *

 

Ben landed on a green pie space, he only needed one more pie piece to complete his token and all he had to do was get to the middle and he would be the winner. “Ben. Orangutans belong to a genus of animal with what name?” Hux asked him, hoping to catch him out and stop him from earning the last pie piece.

Ben paused as he thought back to high school biology class. “Pongo” Ben replied coolly, trying to play down his doubts.

“Or as Ben calls him, Uncle Bertie” Poe chimed in with a wink, causing the group to laugh.

“Shit!” Hux shouted as he banged his hand on the table. “How the fuck did you get that?”

Ben grinned. “It’s easy when you were a nerd at school with an interest in Evolutionary theories.”

When they finally packed up the game, Ben being the winner, much to Hux’s disgust, It was almost time for the group to leave. They could see that Rey was beginning to tire.

She hugged them all, while Ben showed them out. Rey began to tidy up the lounge, packing up the pizza boxes and putting their leftovers in containers and throwing the boxes out.

“Sweetheart, let me do that. You go up to bed.” Ben said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I don’t mind helping, I’m pregnant not an invalid Ben!” She snapped.

He held out his hands in surrender and Rey started to feel guilty for snapping at him. He only wanted what was best for her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap,” she told him gently. “I’m just tired and i’ve got a headache.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. While she loved her friends and liked to see them regularly, she had struggled to find the energy to entertain them.

“I know you’re not an invalid, Rey. You’re far from one. I just want to help.” Ben replied with a frown. “You’re doing all the hard work here. Just let me do this, please,” he asked.

She bowed her head and nodded, handed him the pizza boxes and kissed him on the cheek as she went up to bed.

Rey curled herself up in the cool, dark bedroom and shut her eyes. She was soon conscious of her husband climbing in beside her and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her to his chest.

“I love you” he mumbled as he nuzzled into her hair.

“I know,” she replied as she relaxed into his arms. “I love you too.”


	12. Papaya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you know what you’re having?” Asked one of Leia’s doddery old friends and one of Rey and Ben’s old high school teachers, Gial Ackbar
> 
> “Well, we were hoping for a baby.” Ben replied with a smirk. “But I’m also open to a cat.” He looked to Rey. “Maybe a dog?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost there. I'll be posting a very special chapter 13 tomorrow so keep an eye out for it.
> 
> Sorry this is late, I've not been feeling myself lately and I'm questioning my future in the fandom. 
> 
> Thank you to the lovely Bunilicious as always for my moodboard.

 

 

Rey loved her unborn child. Oh, how she loved them. But god did she want them out of her and in her arms.

Everything hurt. Her body was running riot with hormones, her feet felt like they had been switched with a clowns without her knowing. Her back was constantly killing her with the extra weight and she wasn’t even going to get started on her breasts.

She was, however, free to breathe a bit easier now that the baby had moved further down near her pelvis and away from the ribs it so loved to kick.

She was officially 9 months pregnant at 36 weeks. She had her hospital bag ready by the front door, the car seat had been installed and the nursery was complete. They couldn’t help but think that their unborn child had more belongings in their house than they did, and they hadn’t even had the shower yet!

The last month had flown by, they had been so busy. They had started having weekly appointments with Amilyn to help them prepare for the birth, as well as taking part in their antenatal classes.

Rey had started getting to know some of the ladies in the class. Anna was due to have her second child the day after Rey, while Kate was due two weeks later. They exchanged numbers to keep in touch, not knowing when one of them would finally go into labour first. It helped to keep Rey sane knowing she wasn’t the only one that was totally over being pregnant.

The couple attended their relaxation technique and breathing exercise class together. Ben sat behind her with his legs out in front of him either side of her as he rubbed her lower back and shoulders like he had been shown. He took all of the leaflets they offered and took as many notes as he could if it meant it would help Rey. He also sat and practised breathing exercises with her when they had some time to themselves.

It was the night before their baby shower, and Rey was sprawled out on the recliner in their bedroom in nothing but pyjama bottoms and her bra. Ben was kneeling before her as he rubbed some belly butter cream into her bump. He had learnt during the classes that it was a good way to bond with his child as well as relaxing Rey, who was currently so comfortable she was dozing.

He had taken to massaging her every evening in the last few weeks. Not only did it help her comfort levels, but it also helped to reassure her that he still found her attractive, no matter how much of a hot mess she saw herself as. The soothing press of his fingers often got a reaction out of the child, much to Ben's glee.

They had also finally confirmed a name for each gender for their baby. They had decided to wait until the birth to reveal their chosen names, much to their friends and families outrage.

_“But what if we wanted to buy you some monogrammed baby things?” Leia asked, brisling._

_“Who buys monogrammed things for a baby?!” Ben asked Rey as she brushed her teeth that evening. She simply shrugged in response._

_She spat out her toothpaste into the sink. “It’s not as though we even know the sex anyway, and we have different initials for genders so she’d just be wasting some money and you know how I feel about that.”_

Rey let out a loud yawn as he rubbed in the last of the cream into her stretch marks, startling Ben out of his thoughts.

“Don’t you mind the stretch marks?” She asked him curiously.

He shrugged and shook his head. “More of you to love. But I wish you’d be kinder to yourself sweetheart, you’re carrying our cub, why wouldn’t I love your stripes?” He answered honestly.

It was unbelievable how a few simple words from him could make her feel every inch the tigress he saw her as. “I love you.” She told him as she carded her hands through his hair in the way he oh so loved. “So much.”

“I love you too.” he replied, smiling. With one last rub and a well placed kiss on the top of her bump, he stood up.

 

* * *

 

Rose and Leia had truly outdone themselves with the baby shower. Rey entered the Solo’s large stately home not really knowing what to expect, only that between Leia and Rose the shower was surely to be an event no one would forget.

She and Ben were the first to arrive as planned. Leia and Rose had decorated the entirety of the ground floor in grey and cream. At the lounge room door there was a fold up table set up with an empty notebook for people to write messages to the couple in. Over each doorway was a balloon arc, cream and grey banners lined the walls along with cutouts of animals and different games. The comfortable and chic furniture that usually sat in the large lounge had been removed and replaced with chairs. A large buffet table had been set up in the middle of the room, filled with finger foods and snacks, a portable bar stood in the corner serving different types of mocktails suitable for Rey to drink. There was also a table in the corner reserved for any gifts. However, Rey's eyes were firmly trained on the beautiful centrepiece that had been crafted for the occasion; A statue of a tower of brightly coloured baby blocks spelling out the worlds “Baby Solo” stood with pride of place in the middle of the buffet table.

Rey held her hand over her mouth as tears threatened to fall. She knew that she told Rose not to go too overboard but it was just perfect. She was in love with _everything._ The colours, the theme, she could practically taste how loved her child already was.

Ben appeared behind her and rubbed her back gently. “What do you think? He asked, taking in her tearful face, opting to wipe her tears instead of comment on them.

“I love it. Everything is beautiful, truly.” She replied, still not able to fully take her eyes off of everything that Leia and Rose had done for them.

At that moment, Leia and Rose entered the room with great beaming smiles on their faces. Rose squealed and pulled Rey in for a hug. “What do you think? She asked excitedly.

“You have truly outdone yourselves, I know I said i didn’t want it to be a big deal but this is all beautiful, it’s better than i could ever have imagined.” Rey told them as Leia embraced her in a hug next.

“Nothing but the best for my family” Leia replied, “You haven’t seen anything yet.” She winked and walked away to answer the door to the guests that were sure to be arriving soon.

Ben wrapped his arms around her waist as they spoke to Rose, trying to get as much information out of her as possible with little success.

 

* * *

 

The shower was in full swing, most of the ground floor was filled with friends and family of the couple, many of whom they hadn’t seen since they had gotten married a few years previously, along with a couple of senators that Leia worked with.

“Do you know what you’re having?” Asked one of Leia’s doddery old friends and one of Rey and Ben’s old high school teachers, Gial Ackbar

“Well, we _were_ hoping for a baby.” Ben replied with a smirk. “But I’m also open to a cat.” He looked to Rey. “Maybe a dog?”

Leia, ever the polite hostess, tried and failed to hide a snort from behind her teacup. “Benjamin behave yourself!”

“No Mr. Ackbar, we’re waiting until they’re born to find out.” Rey smiled, her face ached, she was smiling so much.

“How have you been feeling Rey?” a friend of Leia’s, Harter Kalonia asked.

“I’m fine, other than some pretty wicked heartburn. The usual pregnancy things.” She replied, not wanting to creep anyone out with the _other_ things she was experiencing.

“Ahh, you know what they say about Heartburn don’t you? The worse it is, the more hair your baby will have.” Kalonia winked.

“With Ben as it’s father I think it was inevitable.” I’m positive that child is going to come out with a full head of hair.” She laughed.

Rey was just about to ask her a question when she felt a presence behind her. She turned and a wide grin spread across her face. “Jyn!” Rey wrapped her friend in a hug. “How are you?

Jyn returned the hug and smiled at Rey. “I should be asking you that! You’re positively glowing!” She gestured to Rey’s stomach. It had been a few months since the women had last seen each other properly and in that time Rey had more than doubled in size.

“I’m feeling good today but I must say, I really want them out of me now.” Rey laughed, “But it seems this baby has other plans.”

“What do you think of the centerpiece?” Jyn asked, a bright smile on her face.

Rey’s jaw dropped. “You made that?! Oh Jyn it’s beautiful, thank you so much. It must have taken you so long to make!” She quickly enveloped the older woman into a tight hug.

“It was a pleasure. It’s been too long since I’ve been able to spend time on a project. Consider it my gift to the three of you. I’d love it if you kept it.”

“If we keep it? Of course we’re keeping it, Jyn!” Rey couldn’t stop smiling. She couldn’t believe her friend had made that beautiful statue. “We will make sure we put it in the nursery, we’ve got lots of space.”

They continued to talk, Rey asked Jyn about the goings on at the studio, while Jyn asked her about everything they knew so far about their baby.

It wasn’t long before Leia clapped her hands and brought the floor to silence. “On behalf of Ben and Rey, thank you for coming. They appreciate each and every one of you. We’re just about to start our first game. If you’d all like to come forward and get a prediction sheet. We would like you to write your predictions about the baby. How much they weigh, the date they’ll be born, whether they’ll be a boy or a girl. Rey will keep them all until they’re born and whoever has the closest prediction will win a prize.”

Everyone lurched forward to do as Leia asked and the room once again filled with chatter as they discussed their predictions. Rey was seated next to the table that Leia was standing next to. Despite being a small woman, it was clear that Leia did not need height to command a room.

Once everyone had finished, they handed Rey their prediction sheets. She scanned over the answers people had given. Some people had gone as far forward as November tenth, while some anticipated that very evening! Amilyn, who arrived not long ago had predicted a few days before her actual due date. Okay so Rey _may_ listen to that prediction. Leia had disappeared to prepare for the second game, leaving Rey to mingle with the guests.

“Rey!” She heard the voice of Jessika calling from behind her. She turned around and saw Jess’s eyes comically widen. “Holy cow you’ve grown!”

Rey laughed as she hugged her friend. “I would hope so, I’m not completely sure I was showing much if at all when we saw you last. How are you Jess?”

Jess smiled, switching the gold gift bag she was holding to her other hand and waved her now free hand up to show off a similarly gold engagement band, its stone glinting in the autumn sunlight.

“No way! Jess! I didn’t even realise you were seeing anyone.” Rey exclaimed excitedly as she admired Jess’s ring. “Congratulations!”

“I guess I have you and Solo to thank for that.” Jess winked. “Remember the friend I brought as my plus one to your wedding? But enough about that. Today is about you.”

“The things you miss without a Facebook account.” Rey mused playfully, “Maybe I’m going to have to sign up. Even Ben is on Facebook.” She rolled her eyes at the last part.

“Uh yes! I expect as many photos of baby Solo when they arrive as possible!” She shook the gift bag she was holding. “I _at least_ want a photo of them wearing the present I bought them, you hear?”

She was distracted from her reply by the sound of roaring laughter. She looked over to the other side of the room to find that Finn, Poe and Hux had blindfolded Ben and were watching as he haphazardly attempted to pin a large cutout picture of sperm onto an egg picture that was stuck on the wall.

She snorted and turned back to Jess. “Sorry, I didn’t expect to see my husband fertilising eggs when I turned around.” The girls both burst into laughter as she said those words aloud. Once they had calmed down, Rey answered Jess’s question. “But I will ensure you get many a photo, I promise.”

“Good.” Jess blanched at something behind Rey. “Is that Mr Ackbar over there??” She asked in surprise.

“Oh, yes. He’s friends with Leia and lives across the road.” Rey told her.

“Dude, I still hold a grudge for all the Ds on my report card.” Jess shook her head. She suddenly smiled at something happening behind Rey.

Rey felt a well known arm snaking around her waist, it’s companion appearing in front of her holding a plate of some of the things she had spent her entire pregnancy craving; fresh fruit, a small scoop of peanut butter ice cream in a dish and pickles.

“I haven’t seen you eat anything yet so..” came the voice of Ben.

“Well you’ve just spent the last 10 minutes blindfolded dear,” Rey teased him lovingly. “What’s this about fertilising other women’s eggs hmm?” Ben’s cheeks reddened as he realised they had been watching.

“And that, is my cue to get myself some food.” Jess laughed. “Where shall I put your gift bag, Rey? I had help from Rose with your part of the gift.”

“Leia has set up a table.” She told her and pointed, then quickly grabbed Jess’s free hand. “Ben look! Jess is engaged to the guy she brought to our wedding!” She beamed up at him.

“Oh, congratulations.” He smiled at Jessika. Ben may be a man of few words, but he knew how to be polite.

Jess promised Rey she would find her later as Leia reappeared after setting up the next game.

Leia got everyone’s attention in the same way that she had before. “Our second game is a little bit of fun.” She gestured to the items she had covered by a tablecloth. I’m going to ask my son to help me demonstrate how to play it.

_Oh shit._ Ben paled slightly as Leia smirked at him. _That can’t be good news._ He stepped towards her and Leia removed the tablecloth to reveal four nappies, filled with dollops of baby food.

“Ben here is going to try each of the jars of baby food and write down what he thinks the flavours are.” Leia explained. “Off you go son.”

Ben picked up the first spoon and licked it, unwilling to put the entire thing into his mouth. He smacked his lips after realising the taste wasn’t as bad as the colour made him anticipate it would be. _Definitely apple and pear._ He wrote his answer down on the sheet of paper and moved onto the next spoon. When he had finished he went and stood back next to Rey while his mother started everyone on their tasks.

While everyone was distracted, Leia pulled them both to the side. “Could I borrow you both?” She asked quietly. She turned and asked Rose to oversee the game while they were gone.

Han joined them and they followed her upstairs to the second floor curiously. She paused outside the guest bedroom next to Ben and Reys own bedroom for when they stayed with them during holidays. “While everyone is occupied, Han and I wanted to show you our present. Why don’t you open the door?”

Ben gave Rey the honours and she pushed the door open and stepped inside. What used to be a guest bedroom was now a beautifully laid out nursery, complete with newly installed door linking the room with their own. It was painted a warm shade of cream with dark wooden floors covered by a grey rug. Like their own nursery at home, the room was themed after animals. But instead of wild animals, there were forest wildlife lining the walls. There was a bookshelf in the corner already filled with children’s books, complete with a beautiful old fashioned rocking chair that Ben remembered from his own childhood. It was complete with all the furniture that they could need.

They looked around in wonder. Ben turned to his parents and gaped, he had no words.

“Did you really think our grandchild would sleep in a guest room when they visited us?” Leia asked softly.

Ben surprised everyone by engulfing his mother in a hug before Rey had even had the chance, followed by his father. “Thank you.” He told them. “I can’t speak for Rey but I love it, and I know they will too.”

Rey hugged them both as well, murmuring her thanks and gratefulness. “I hadn’t actually thought about them having a nursery anywhere other than home, I’m grateful you thought about it.” She smiled.

They returned to their guests downstairs before they were missed by anyone. Currently this was a gift only for their eyes only.

They carried on as they had been before, chatting and catching up with people in between little party games. It felt like their wedding all over again, only without the alcohol and extravagant dress clothes.

Soon enough it was time for the couple to unwrap the gifts that had been brought. Leia sat nearby writing down exactly what each person had given them, making the idea of thank you cards much more bearable.

Rey opened her gift from Jessika. For their baby she had bought a babygro with _‘All because two people fell in love’_ designed on it. It was beautiful, and certainly apt. For Rey she had taken Roses expert advice of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup variety pack, after remembering what Rey told her about her sister’s shower.

Next came their gifts from Finn and Poe. For the couple, they had bought them a heated under blanket for the colder months knowing how Rey struggled. For the baby, Finn had picked out a small grey babygro with ‘ _Little Peanut’_ written on it and small peanuts dotted all over it. They had also gifted Rey with a gift voucher to a spa for after the baby was born.

Rose and Hux had gifted them a milestone blanket for their baby to lay on so Rey could take photos as it grew every month, and had given the couple a homemade babysitting ‘voucher’ for a baby free night whenever they needed it.

Maz and Chewie revealed that they had opened a savings account for the baby and had deposited $1,000 to start it off. Rey couldn’t help but get up and hug them both tightly after that revelation.

They received many, many clothes and stuffed toys along with keepsake treasures and Jyn had bought Rey a bump painting kit for Halloween that she couldn’t wait to use. Amilyn had even gifted the couple with a voucher for a free baby photography session after she had given birth.

By the time they were finished, Rey felt all cried out. They both went around the room and thanking people in person for their generous with a hug, or in Ben's case a handshake.

The afternoon turned to early evening, when the shower was over and people began to leave, Rey attempted to help with tidying up. However it was not long until she was stopped and scolded by Leia.

Instead she and Ben were handed some large plates of food that hadn’t been eaten along with copious amounts of peanut butter ice cream and told to go home and relax. Rey was not going to argue, her back was killing her for how active she had been all day and the idea of having a warm bath and an early night was wonderful.

She soaked in the hot bath as it soothed her aching muscles and listened to Ben wander around the nursery, organising the gifts they had been given that day. Jyn’s centrepiece stood proudly in the corner of the bedroom while all of the clothes were laid out on the changing table ready to be washed.

She got out after a while and wrapped herself in a large towel and went into their bedroom to get dressed. She grabbed one of Ben's t-shirts and some pyjama bottoms and curled up in bed watching tv as she waited for him to join her. She’d had such a wonderful day. As blissful sleep overtook her, her mind wandered back to the celebrations.


	13. Pumpkin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Uh, Ben,” she said as she tried to sit up and began tapping his shoulder with increasing strength, hoping to rouse him as quickly as possible. “Ben you really need to wake up.” 
> 
> He sleepily opened his eyes and took in her panicked expression and rigid position and quickly lost all drowsiness. “What’s wrong?” 
> 
> “I think I’m in labour.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally here, and so is someone else. 
> 
> Thank you to the lovely Bunilicious for the beautiful moodboard. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

  

Rey couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of how scared she had been when she pictured the process and the pain of labour, now at 39 weeks she didn’t care what it took, she just wanted this baby the heck out of her. 

The waiting game had officially begun. The great game was afoot, in the words of Arthur Conan Doyle. She had spent the last week washing all of the clothes and blankets they had been given at their baby shower, making sure that they were all wearable when their child decided to put in an appearance - they were now hung and folded neatly in their nursery closet - and cleaning as well as she possibly could in her current condition. With the help of their parents, she and Ben now had a freezer fully stocked with home cooked meals for the first few weeks of parenthood. 

She was currently curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with her head resting in Ben's lap as they watched a movie. It was late October and the nights were beginning to draw in giving way to the chilly evenings. While she couldn’t wait for the birth of their baby she knew she was going to miss these quiet evenings with just the two of them. 

She had been feeling slightly sore all afternoon, her Braxton Hicks had been relentless, not necessarily painful but certainly worse than period cramps. She took a bath, hoping it would make her feel more comfortable but all she wanted to do was relax with Ben and hope that it wouldn’t be too much longer.

“Rey,” she heard Ben rumble as he ran his hand through her hair, “do you want to get into bed?”

“That would require moving and it feels like too much effort,” she mumbled into his leg.

He chuckled at her grudge against movement. “But you’d be more comfortable,” he urged. “We can finish watching the movie upstairs. _Oh the joy of Netflix._

She thought about it. She _was_ aching to stretch out a little and it _would_ be warmer, especially with him wrapped around her as he does. “You’ve got me.”

They switched everything off and retreated back to their bedroom. Rey crawled under her duvet and switched on the heated under blanket, a present that Finn and Poe had got her for her baby shower. For all of Poe's irritating actions, he sure bought great presents. She stretched out in the way that always reminded Ben of a cat, and set up Netflix while he brushed his teeth. 

She heard him switch the bathroom light off and pad across the hall and into their room. “So,” she started, “don’t get used to this but you may have been right.”

Ben laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into his chest and traced his fingers up and down her stomach. “What are we talking about here, sweetheart?”

“It’s much more comfortable in here.”

 

* * *

 

Rey had experienced perhaps the worst night of interrupted sleeping in her entire pregnancy. She was woken up periodically with more cramping, however she soon fell back to sleep, only for the cycle to repeat.

That was, until she woke up the next day, just as their alarm would usually have gone off had they not been on parental leave, with the knowledge that the sheets beneath her were wet and the pains from the night before had now travelled to her back. _Oh, shit._

“Uh, Ben,” she said as she tried to sit up and began tapping his shoulder with increasing strength, hoping to rouse him as quickly as possible. “Ben you really need to wake up.”

He sleepily opened his eyes and took in her panicked expression and rigid position and quickly lost all drowsiness. “What’s wrong?”  

“I think I’m in labour.”

“What? Really?”

“No Ben, I’m testing your reaction times,” she snapped. “Yes really!”

“Okay,” he nodded, turning over to feel around the bedside table for his phone, thanking whatever deity present that he thought to put both of their phones on to charge overnight.

After a call to Amilyn who told them to meet her down at the birth center as quickly as their safety allowed, they quickly dressed, with Ben also stripping the bed before Rey tried to do it herself, and they left the house for the last time as a family of two.

 

* * *

 

**8:20am - October 30th 2018**

Amilyn was checking Rey over to make sure both she and their baby were safe.

“Rey, can you tell me about the pains you had yesterday?” Amilyn asked her as she examined her internally.

“They were like the Braxton Hicks we spoke about that I have been having for the last few months, they were just more insistent. No real timing to them and they didn’t feel like pain, more like particularly bad period cramps.”

Amilyn considered for a moment before removing her gloves and replacing the blanket across Rey’s waist. “I think you may have been in early labour without really knowing about it.” She told her. “You’ve had the optimal labour so far, we hope that your water breaks between early and active labour and I think that’s almost exactly what has happened in your case.”

The couple nodded as they took everything she was saying in. By now Rey had been in early labour for nearly 18 hours.

“You are about 5cm dilated and I know things are progressing slowly,” Amilyn smiled kindly. “You will be free to move around as you wish and get comfortable in whatever form you think will help you most. But I do advise that you get some more sleep while you can.”

Amilyn ensured that the baby’s heartbeat tracer around Rey's belly was working properly, and then left to give them their privacy, promising to return in a short while to re-examine Rey.

“What do you feel like doing?” Ben asked as he laid beside her. The bonus of being in this center was that they had bigger beds than a labour ward would.

“I wouldn’t mind taking Amilyn’s advice and getting some more sleep.” She yawned, emphasising her point. Ben got up to turn the lights down and pulled the blanket he brought from home out of their bag. They both settled back down with nothing but the quiet beeps of her monitors to lull them to sleep.

 

* * *

 

**3:00pm**

Rey was going to complain. In every movie or every tv show she had watched, labour looked like this miraculous and fast paced thing that ended just as soon as it started. Moms looked glamorous with tousled hair and touched up make up and acted as though they hadn’t just gone through the traumatic event of having a human pulled from their body through an opening the size of a lemon. That is _not_ how it goes.

The pain had ramped up and she wasn’t even close to pushing their child out. It had taken a while but she was finally considered to be in active labour.

She was making use of the birthing ball, presently she was on her knees, her arms balancing on the ball as she breathed through her contractions. Ben sat next to her as he rubbed the bottom of her back.

“I’m not sure what’s more frustrating,” she whined to him. “Waiting for the pain to stop or waiting for them to arrive.”

Ben hummed, he didn’t cope well with seeing Rey in pain. “I couldn’t possibly comment sweetheart, but I’d rather you were comfortable.”

She shifted on the ball, which helped her through the next few contractions and she soon quieted.

“Can I get you anything baby?” Ben asked tentatively.

“Is it too late for some ice cream?” She asked quietly.

Ben snorted, he hadn’t expected that. “Let me call Amilyn.”

 

* * *

**8:30pm**

“I feel like it’s never going to end” Rey cried in agony as she gripped Ben's hand hard in between long drags of gas and air.

“Breathe Rey, remember the classes. In through your nose and out through your mouth.” Ben soothed her.

Rey had moved back to the bed, the birthing ball was no longer helping. She hoped the pressure of her back against the bed would counteract the pressure inside her, however she had not had much luck yet.

She had stripped off the gown that she had been given in favour of a black maternity vest top she had brought with her, anything more felt like it was smothering her.

“You’re almost fully dilated, Rey. You can do this. Not much longer and you’ll have a baby in your arms.” Amilyn said over Rey's cries.

She calmed down as the contraction subsided, and she took in a large breath of air and shuddered.

The next contraction tore through her as she let out an agonised grunt. The pain began to get too much, her body felt like it was overheating and she quickly had to turn her head to the opposite side of her bed and vomit into a nearby bowl.

Rey had always been a strong person with a high pain threshold, but this is something else.

“Is that normal?!” Demanded Ben, he began to worry. They hadn’t mentioned _that_ during the birthing classes.

“Yes, Ben, don’t panic.” Amilyn reassured him. “Sometimes vomiting is how women cope with intense pain during labour.” She quickly took the bowl away and provided Rey with another.

“I want it to stop,” Rey cried as she buried her head into Ben’s chest.

“I know baby, I know. Just a little longer and we’ll have our little cub.” Ben said reassuringly as he pushed her sweaty hair away from her face.

 

* * *

 

**12:15am - October 31st 2018**

 

“Yeah, mom. We’re almost there. Well, we hope.” Ben said to Leia as he paced around the room.

Rey had begun pushing, and was so exhausted she simply fell asleep in between pushes. Ben used that time to quickly update their parents

Leia and Han had been staying with Maz and Chewy while Rey was in labour, not knowing how long it would take.

“Poor Rey, the poor girl must be exhausted,” Leia commented.

“Yeah, she’s dozing off in between pushes at the moment,” Ben said quietly.

“I hope this doesn’t put her off having anymore.” His mother replied thoughtlessly.

“Mom, really? Let’s get her through grandchild number one first,” Ben berated her. “Whenever that will be”

Leia softened, hearing her usually calm and relaxed son sound as lost as he did was not lost on her. “I know dear, I’m just trying to keep your spirits up. Just keep looking after that girl like you already are and things will be fine.”

“I know mom, I’m sorry. I’d ask you guys to come down but we could be here for hours still,” he said, rubbing his hand down his pale face.

“Well we’re just a text away, give that girl a hug and a kiss from us all.”

He hung up and went back to his post beside Rey and did as Leia asked. “Our parents sends their love. I think they’re holding some sort of vigil at home.”

She gave a weak smile and a thumbs up and shut her eyes again.

 

* * *

 

**1:15am**

Ben had quickly fired off a text to his mother - that Rey was crowning and that it wouldn’t be much longer.

“Come on Rey, push” Amilyn prompted. I can see your baby’s head. They’ve got a lot of hair!

“Just a little bit more sweetheart, come on. I know you can do it.” Ben reassured her gently as he continued rubbing circles into her back.

“If you tell me to push one more time, I’m going to push you right out that window, Ben,” Rey snapped at him.

“Then it’s a good thing those windows don’t open wide enough,” he snarked back at her.

Rey felt the intense urge to push, this time of her body’s own accord. “That’s good, Rey, your baby’s head is almost out,” the second midwife that had joined them told her.

“Ben, if you wanted to be the first to touch your child you might want to come down here now,” Amilyn asked him gently.

He looked at Rey for approval, receiving a short nod in agreement and quickly slipped his shirt off as they had planned.

“Rey, when I tell you to I want you to pant and then give me one last big push, and it will all be over,” Amilyn told her.

She counted down and Rey began to give one last push as she gritted her teeth. “Gah, God!” At the last moment, she pushed the last of her child’s head out quickly followed by the rest of its body, landing snuggly in Ben's hands.

Everything slowed down as Ben looked down at his small child in his hands and he quickly pulled the baby to his abdomen. The baby began to wail and Rey let out a quiet sob of relief. “Ben, do you want to take a look and tell Rey what you’ve got?” Amilyn asked him.

 _That’s a good point,_ he thought. He was so caught up in waiting to hear their child cry he didn’t even think about that.  He looked down as Amilyn helpfully moved one of their child’s legs to let him see.

He looked up at Rey with a smile, his vision beginning to blur with tears. “We’ve got a son.”

“Happy Birthday, little man,”Amilyn said as she quickly dried him off with a towel and gently placed the wailing little boy on Rey’s chest while Ben cut his cord. Once he’d finished he joined Rey, perching on the bed beside her and softly kissed her forehead as he stroked his child’s cheek. Neither of them could take their teary eyes off of their son, who opened his eyes stared back at them with a half lidded gaze as he stopped crying.

“Hi little cub, I’m your mommy.” she told the small body quietly. “But you probably already know that, don’t you my clever boy?”

“You were magnificent, sweetheart.” He told her lovingly, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. She smiled back, feeling much more like her usual self give or take the powerful emotions which were rushing through her presently.

“He is absolutely beautiful, I can already see you both in him. Do you want to try feeding him?” Amilyn asked her.

Rey nodded and pulled down her vest, placing their son in front of her breast. It took a few attempts, but once he had latched on they both got the hang of it. Thank god for those classes.

After half an hour, Rey began to shake violently, her once overheated body was now freezing. After delivering the afterbirth, Amilyn quickly took the baby and gave him a quick check over while Ben helped her to put her gown back on as they changed the sheets to make everything dry again.

Once she was back in her bed, she was given an extra blanket and some pain relief before Amilyn brought their son back to them. A new little identity band had been placed around his ankle and wrist.

“Your little man weighs a very healthy 8lb 5oz,” she told them matter of factly. “I have some new wristbands for you, it’s just so we know who he belongs to. Now that you’ve given birth, once we’ve checked you both over properly in a few hours you’ll be taken to a new room that’s a bit more secure and homely. The wristbands and the little anklet you’re all wearing is your entry ID.”

Rey tried to take it in, really she did. But she couldn’t take her eyes off of the tiny bundle in her arms.

They had a son. A beautiful little boy. How could something that big, yet still so small, have come out of her? She stroked his tiny hand, he pulled it into a fist and held onto her finger tightly. He had a huge amount of dark hair covering his head, once again clearly favouring his father. Ms Kalonia had been right!

“Rey?” Ben asked tentatively. “You okay?”

“Sorry, what was the question?” she asked meekly.

“Don’t apologise, I wouldn’t want to take my eyes off of him either.” Amilyn smiled. “Do you want some toast and a cup of tea?”

Rey nodded. “I wouldn’t say no, thank you Amilyn,” she replied.

Amilyn nodded and just before she left the room, turned to them. “Before I forget, your parents are outside. Do you want me to send them in?”

The couple looked at each other. Ben mostly let Rey make the decision, she _had_ done all of the hard work after all. She nodded at him. “Yes, that’s fine. Please do, but don’t tell them what he is,” Rey said.

“I’ll tell them to give you a few minutes to get comfortable.” Amilyn told them, and left to rely their message, leaving Ben and Rey alone with their son.

Rey winced as she tried to shift her position, “Oh hey, let me help.” Ben picked up on it instantly and took the pillow off of the small bed he had been given and helped her get more comfortable and presentable.

“Thank you,” She said quietly. “I can’t believe we have a son.” She paused. “I’m sorry for threatening to throw you out of the window.”

He chuckled softly “I should be thanking you,” he replied, “you did all the hard work, all I did was rub your back.”

“You gave a pretty good back rub to be honest. Do you want to hold him properly?” Rey offered. “I’m going to need to eat if he wants to nurse again soon.”

Ben grinned, “I would love to.” He gently took his son from Rey's arms, and watched her stretch as well as she could given the obvious.

“Hi there, buddy,” he whispered and gently kissed his forehead. “Remember me?” He laid him against his chest and helped cushion his tiny legs with the blanket they had brought from home.

They heard a small knock to the door. “Come in!” Rey called quietly, making sure she didn’t make the baby jump. Ben wrapped him gently in the blanket to make sure their parents could have a quick cuddle before they had to leave for the night.

The door creaked open, and Leia’s head poked around. Rey gestured for them to come in and put a finger to her lips and pointed to Ben. Their parents came in quietly and closed the door behind them.

“Well?” Leia asked. She looked like a firework that was about to fly off.

The couple looked at each other and Rey nodded to Ben, signalling that he should tell them. He stood back up, being careful not to jostle the little boy, and walked across to them.

“Say hello to your grandson.” He told them with pride.

Leia clapped her hands over her mouth as she whispered “a grandson.” They all crept closer, Ben pulled down the blanket he had wrapped up his still nude son in to let them get a good glimpse at his face.

“Look at that hair!” Maz exclaimed and looked at Ben. He simply smiled coyly at her. “His hair says daddy, but his face is all mommy.”

“Do you guys want to have a quick hold before you go home?” Ben asked.

“What are you nuts? Yes!” Leia demanded.

He gestured for them to all take a seat on his bed to get comfortable before handing him to gently to Maz.

“How did everything go?” Leia questioned, she looked between Ben and Rey.

“It was long, tiring and god did it hurt.” Rey replied honestly as she leaned back against her pillows. “Everything went smoothly though.”

Ben took the time that their parents were taking turns holding the baby to text their friends.

 

**Ben Solo to The Resistance**

_We’ve got a healthy baby boy. He was born at 1:20am and weighed 8lb 5oz. He and Rey are both doing fine, we’ll let you know when we’re settled and you can come by and meet him. 2:29am_

 

“How much did he weigh in the end Rey?” Maz asked. “He feels like a big boy.” She softly handed him to Leia.

“8lb 5oz” Rey grinned. “I still don’t quite know how I got him out. I think I blocked it out.” She turned to Ben. “I still blame you.”

“That’s fine,” he replied, “I blame my father.”

Hans mouth dropped open, “I resent that!”

Ben snorted. “You would.”

“Does the wee laddie have a name yet?” Chewie asked them.

“We settled on Kes,” Rey told them. “It’s three letters like ours and fits our surname.. and his middle name.”

Ben furrowed his eyebrows, they hadn’t decided on a middle name yet. “Rey?”

“I think it’s only fitting he has his daddy’s name, don’t you? Kes Benjamin Solo?”

The couple were conscious of their parents eyes shifting between them. Ben has nothing to say. Other than to lean over and kiss his wife, hoping it showed her exactly how he felt about her suggestion. He simply nodded in response, not trusting his voice.

“Kes is ..unique.” Han said clearing his throat, “what’s it mean?”

“Well, it means Falcon.” Rey said, shifting her eyes between their fathers. Han quietly gasped in surprise. He thought his son had hated that car. Rey carried on “It made a lot of sense to Ben and I, given that we helped you and my dad work on the Millenium Falcon as we grew up. We both learnt to drive in that car, _amongst other thangs_. It seemed.. fitting. Whenever we think of either of you, that car is the first thing we think of.

“I also liked what it symbolises.” Ben added on, more looking at Rey as he spoke. “The Falcon represents the rising sun. Given that his mother is quite literally a ‘Rey’ of sunshine.”

“I love it.” Leia told them. “He carries both his mother and his father in his name as well as inside him.”

Once everyone had had a quick cuddle with Kes, their parents took their leave, promising not to tell anyone anything until they had a chance to themselves and to return the next day. As they were leaving, Amilyn brought Rey her tea and toast.

They were sitting quietly enjoying the silence after over 24 hours of pure hysteria when a thought struck Ben.

“Hey, Rey?” He asked, looking up from his sons tiny body to his wife.

“Mmmm?” She mumbled through a mouthful of toast.

“Happy Halloween, sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note, the Kes in this story has been chosen for the reasons Ben and Rey list in this chapter. I know technically its Poe's fathers name but I'm choosing to ignore that here. I hope you like it.
> 
> Very aptly, the average size of a baby born at 39 weeks is a pumpkin.


	14. Eighteen Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was 6pm and Ben was looking out of the small window watching as small children trick or treated around the streets in hoards. He wore a soft smile as he thought of all Kes’s Halloweens and Birthdays to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer than usual wait. I had stuff to work through. Thanks for the lovely comments, they've been very uplifting. 
> 
> Thanks to the wonderful Buni as always for betaing and providing me with a beautiful moodboard. <3

“I just keep looking at him and thinking  _ he’s mine. I made him. _ ” Rey murmured as she stared down at Kes as he laid in the acrylic bassinet and stroked his soft dark hair.

Kes was now 6 hours old. The couple had been removed to a secure suite where they could feel at home with their son with the help of on-hand staff if they were needed until Rey had recovered enough for them to return home.

The suite had the amenities of a small studio apartment, complete with a double bed and a kitchenette along with a wet room. Rey couldn’t wait for a shower, while her priority was her son she couldn’t help but feel grimy and she hoped the warm water would soon her aches and sore spots.

Rey wasn’t quite sure  _ how  _ she was feeling emotionally, truth be told. On one hand she was bursting at the seams with happiness but on the other hand she felt terrified and she was not quite sure who cried more when Amilyn gave her son a vitamin injection during his first hour of life - herself or Kes.

“He is very gorgeous,” Amilyn cooed. She was carrying out his exam to ensure the little boy was adjusting to ‘life on the outside’ as she called it. She was happy that he was as healthy as he could possibly be, much to his parents delight.

She had helped Rey give him a quick sponge bath and once they had finished, they watched as Rey put on a diaper and dressed him for the first time.

She couldn’t help but go all gooey inside when she took in all of his adorable little wrinkles and chunky limbs, it almost reminded her of a little old man.

“Don’t be afraid to move his arms and legs Rey,” Amilyn told her softly, picking up on Rey's hesitation as she pulled the babygro over his head. “A baby’s body isn’t as weak as people believe, you won’t break him.”

“Are you sure?” Rey asked tentatively.

“Oh yes. Babies are very resilient little beings and It will get easier the more you do it, their bones are softer, much more flexible.” she reassured the concerned mom.

Rey needn’t have worried. By the time she was finished popping the babygro poppers, Kes was fast asleep.

Amilyn briefly examined Rey while Ben picked the baby up gently and settled him against his chest as he quietly padded around the room.

Once Amilyn had left, Ben placed Kes back into the bassinet, turned the lights off and climbed into bed beside Rey, who was dozing off beside him. She’d had so little sleep in the past 48 hours it was not surprising. With a full tummy, the baby was likely to sleep for a few hours so it was a good idea they got what sleep they could. 

  


* * *

 

Rey was woken up a few hours later by a soft whimpering from the bassinet. She went into panic mode, remembering that she fell asleep while the baby was awake. Logically she knew Ben would let nothing happen to Kes, but her illogical side took over.

She switched the light on and hurried over to the baby, finding him with his eyes open as he sucked on one small fist. Rey smiled brightly and sighed in relief as she watched him. “Hi beautiful boy,” she cooed and picked him up, kissing his tiny cheek gently. She checked her watch and realised it must be time for another feed.

Rey settled back in bed with him and unbuttoned her shirt. She had quickly realised in the last 9 hours that easy access was always a good idea.

He latched onto her breast quickly, she couldn’t help but feel proud with how naturally it was coming to her. She finally felt like she understood what people meant by maternal instincts taking over.

Rey laid there with her head resting against the headboard with her eyes closed as Kes suckled. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she finally opened her eyes. Rey looked over at her husband to find him gazing at them both, with nothing but pure love burning in his eyes.

“You’re staring again,” she sang, however she couldn’t help but smile.

“Am I?” he replied distantly. “Sorry, I’m just happy.”

Rey got the feeling that if it was possible for the man to purr he would be.

Once Kes stopped suckling she pulled him to her chest, his head on her shoulder  and rubbed his back. She lifted him back up and kissed his cheek, stopping to inhale his sweet scent.

She laid him on his back in between the two of them. “Poe wants to know if he’s allowed to use him as a Halloween prop next year,” Rey said absentmindedly as she took the time to scroll through her phone.

Ben snorted and rolled his eyes. Of course Poe would. 

  


* * *

 

“Rey, you’ve got some visitors,” Amilyn told her as she popped her head around the door. “I just wanted to make sure you had the chance to get yourself comfortable.”

Rey smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Amilyn. We’re all dressed and ready to see them.” They had the small tv on in the background with Halloween movies playing. She was sitting with her knees up, Kes resting against them.

It was 6pm and Ben was looking out of the small window watching as small children trick or treated around the streets in hoards. He wore a soft smile as he thought of all Kes’s Halloweens and Birthdays to come.

There was another knock at the door, bringing him out of his thoughts. He strode across the room to open it. Ben was almost knocked backwards as Rose barrelled into him, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. He chuckled lightly and hugged the small woman back. Rose was as much of a sister as he was ever going to get.

Their friends came bearing gifts, helium filled baby boy balloons and were almost vibrating with excitement as they entered the suite. As long as they were quiet, Amilyn was happy for them to stay and meet the baby and spend some time with the couple, knowing that the friends were considered family.

Rose immediately rushed over to Rey to get a closer look at her ‘nephew’. “Oh Rey. He’s beautiful.” She gushed as she gently stroked his hair. “He’s already got more hair than Finn.” She giggled at her friend's expense.

Rey gently moved into the middle of the large bed, placing Kes in front of her so everyone could get a proper look at him.

Poe clapped Ben on the back and grinned. “So you didn’t pass out then, Solo?” he teased.

Ben snorted. “No, but Rey did threaten to kill me multiple times.”

“How are you holding up?” Rose asked Rey quietly, knowing the answer may not be something Rey wanted the boys to hear.

“I’m good,” Rey replied. “I’m sore, tired and desperate for a shower but with all things considered, it went perfectly,” she smiled coyly. “Besides, I think the result is worth it all.”

Rey watched as they took photos of her son and gushed over him. Much to Rey’s surprise, so was the ever stoic Hux who sat with a small smile on his pale pointed face.

“Would you like to hold him?” Rey asked Rose, watching how lovingly her friend was gazing at him.

Roses eyes lit up and she grinned. “Absolutely!” Rey waited as Rose washed her hands and got herself into a comfortable position. She sat back against the headboard and Rey gently passed her sleeping son to her.

Once Rose had her cuddle with the baby, she, albeit unwillingly, passed him to Hux. The friends each took a turn holding Kes who happily slept through it all. They talked among themselves, Rey took that time to have something to eat and change her clothes.

She was just pulling her hair up into her trademark three bun style when heard Poe call her and knowing he was holding Kes she rushed back. “What’s wrong?” She asked worriedly.

“Um.. what’s he doing?” He asked in confusion as the boy began to nuzzle his chest and squirm in his arms.

Rey barked out a laugh as she walked over. “He’s looking for a boob. It means he’s hungry.”

“Woah, okay buddy. I definitely cannot help in that department. Let’s give you back to your mommy.” Poe told the little boy softly with a chuckle. “I will, however, be using that as embarrassment material for when he’s 18.”

As Rey took him back into her arms, she couldn’t help but feel love flow through her. Knowing that her best friends adored her son almost as much as she and Ben did made her unbelievably happy.

She sat herself down gently, Ben handed her a towel to put over her chest as she fed Kes, not wanting to expose herself to her friends.

Once he was fed and burped, Rey noticed he was still squirming in her arms and whimpering. Amilyn reappeared at the door just at the right time. Rey laid him down and Amilyn looked him over and smiled.  

“Looks like you have a job to do daddy.” Amilyn told Ben. “He needs his first diaper change, there’s no better practice than the real thing. Mom you stay put, you need to rest.” She told Rey sternly with no room for argument.

Rey watched as Ben grabbed the changing things he would need and sat on the bed next to Rey in front of Kes. The group of friends looked on curiously, Poe looked as though he was holding his tongue, much to Ben's relief.

He undressed and changed Kes as he had practiced in their classes. He knew he would get a lot of real life practice in if the books he read were right. Ben took each of the boys tiny feet in one overly large hand and gently wiped and cleaned him and once the little boy had a fresh diaper and was redressed he was content enough to slip back off to sleep.

Rose cooed at him, murmuring how adorable he was. She turned to Hux. “Armie, please can we have one? Please? Look how adorable and quiet he is.” Her expression reminded Rey of the real life version of the heart eyes emoji.

“You’re only saying that because it was a marginally clean diaper, Rosie.” Ben winked at Hux, knowing the redhead had a complete meltdown anytime someone threw up, or Rose was ill.

Hux went as red as his hair if it was even possible, everyone was watching him waiting for his answer. Thankfully they missed Rey wincing at the question, not in a hurry to repeat the soreness she was experiencing herself anytime soon.

Her reaction was not missed in Amilyn, who looked on with amusement. “He may be quiet now but he won’t stay like that I’m afraid. Give it two weeks.” She looked at Rey before speaking again, this time directly to Rose. “Besides, I think Rey may have some horror stories to tell you about, Rose.”

It wasn’t long after Amilyn leaving that Rey began yawning, her long first day of motherhood mixed with the discomfort she was suffering meant that she couldn’t wait until she was snuggled underneath the covers with Ben where she belonged.

Surprisingly, Poe was the first to notice her change in demeanour and looked at his watch, then realising they had been there for almost two hours announced his departure. “We should probably let you both rest, anyway,” he told them. Ben nodded at him, simply mouthing _thank you_  while everyone else was distracted. It  _ would  _ be a good idea to make the most of the time in between feeds and diaper changes by sleeping.

Rey hugged each of her friends goodnight, promising to message the group chat once they had opened their gifts after they woke up, whenever that would be. Ben saw them out and asked Amilyn if it was okay for them to go to bed, checking Kes and Rey did not need anymore intervention tonight.

When he got back to the room, he found Rey already fast asleep under the covers. She had moved the bassinet to her side of the bed as opposed to at the bottom. He quickly checked on his son, and turned the lights and television off before getting into bed and spooning behind Rey. His last thought before falling into a dreamless sleep was his hope that they would soon be allowed to return home.


	15. Thirty Six Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben had just started to move the table on wheels to the bottom of the bed to create some space when Rey stopped him. “No don’t put the table down there,” she asked quickly. 
> 
> He raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was talking about. “Why? It’s in your way sweetheart.” 
> 
> “I like seeing my feet,” she said almost shyly. “It’s been a while.” She wiggled her toes to emphasise her point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the lovely Buni as usual for her beta reading skills and her beautiful moodboard <3
> 
> I may have increased the total chapter count. Let me know what you'd like to see?

 

 

Rey was woken up the next morning to the murmuring of voices, not yet awake enough to grasp what they were saying. Kes had only woken up twice during the night of his own accord for feedings. Rey had needed to wake him for the last feed, mostly due to her own concern for making sure he ate regularly.

True to his promises during her pregnancy, despite not really being able to help with feedings at this point Ben still rose with her whenever she needed to get up, if only to ensure he was _at least_ able to handle any diaper changes.

As she woke up further, she noticed that she only recognised one of the voices she could hear. She slowly opened her eyes, thankful that the blinds had been drawn at some point between her falling asleep for the last time and waking up leaving them in dim light.

Her eyes landed on the unfamiliar dark skinned midwife who was currently examining her son and making polite conversation with Ben as he watched everything the older woman was doing. She had sweet and gentle air about her that reminded Rey of her mother.

She stretched as well as she could and unintentionally released a gentle moan, alerting the two other adults to her state of wakefulness.

The midwife smiled at her, her eyes crinkling endearingly. “How are you feeling, dear?” she asked. “Amilyn is not due in until this afternoon, so I will be doing your observations and _hopefully_ your discharge papers later on today. My name is Ahsoka Tano.” Her eyes sparkled and Rey found herself smiling back. She could see herself becoming fond of this woman.

Ben picked up Kes and brought him over to Rey, placing a kiss on her cheek at the same time, and went to make them both a hot drink.

“If you’re looking at discharging us, I guess he is doing well?” she asked Ahsoka as she stroked his cheek. “I had to wake him up for his last feed during the night. Is that normal?”

Tano nodded and removed her gloves. “Perfectly normal. We do advise that moms wake their babies every 2-3 hours during the first few weeks. It benefits both of you. It helps your milk come in faster if there’s demand for it and it means he will gain weight.”

Rey nodded, it made perfect sense of course. The reassurance helped. No one told you these things in advance, you only ever heard about babies waking you up screaming because they were hungry or needed a diaper change.

The midwife quickly examined her, satisfied that she was recovering well. She certainly _did_ feel more comfortable today. The only thing she wanted was a shower and her own bed.

“Could I have a shower?” she asked Ahsoka tentatively, wrinkling her nose as she spoke. “I feel disgusting.”

“Honey, if you can bear to drag yourself away from that boy of yours, you can do whatever you like,” she replied with a beaming smile. “Don’t forget, you have a little photography session this afternoon.”

She left the couple to get themselves ready, promising to return when she had any more news on their discharge. She gracefully swaggered out of the room, humming a happy tune to herself. Whereas Amilyn radiated a cool calm vibe as she worked, Ahsoka was pure comforting joy.

Rey watched her leave with a grin plastered on her face. “Can we take her home with us? She’s great,” she asked Ben.

He chuckled lightly. “She’s certainly something else.” He handed her a mug of tea and placed a plate of toast down on the table beside her. “How are you feeling?”

“Good, but I will be much better after a shower.” She nibbled on a piece of toast, being careful not to shower the baby in crumbs.

Kes began to stir in her arms as she finished her food. She handed the plate to Ben with a grateful smile and, unbuttoning the shirt of his she was wearing, she started to feed the baby.

As she was feeding him, Ben pulled out the bag of gifts that their friends had brought with them the night before. Between the four of them, Kes had 5 new outfits, a stuffed blue lion and they had a new photo album to fill. Rey sent a text to the group chat thanking them, and telling them that they may be going home today.

Once she was done feeding she placed him gently in the bassinet. She gently got out of bed and gleefully hobbled to the wet room as though she was a small girl awaiting a Christmas present. Ben couldn’t help but laugh at her as she disappeared behind the door.

Once she turned the water on and ensured she had a towel, she decided changing into clothing could wait. Besides, she’d had at least four people - _not_ including her husband - poking and prodding her in all her naked glory over the past three days; she had almost lost her embarrassment.

She stripped down and looked at herself properly in the mirror that stood against the wall for the first time since she had given birth. The web of stretch marks that littered the now soft and pliant skin of her stomach. Surprisingly however, she did not mind one bit. These were the efforts of 9 months of growing a beautiful human that was the perfect embodiment of both herself and Ben. And he himself had more than once showered her in compliments and soothed her worries in the few days that had passed since their son had arrived. If she hadn’t grown up with this man she may have been more concerned, but he had seen her body in every stage of her life up until now - some downright embarrassing - and he _still_ worshipped her. She would be lying if she said that didn’t fill her with confidence.

She stood comfortably under the hot stream of water as she worked her fingers through her unkempt hair and revelled in the feeling of the blood, sweat and grime on her skin being washed down the drain. The heat was doing wonders for the aches, the cramps and the soreness that still remained.

By the time she was finished, she had been in the shower for close to half an hour. She wrung the water out of her hair and wrapped herself up tightly in the towel before opening the door she had left ajar - just in case the baby woke.

She found herself leaning against the door frame as she watched Ben, who once again stood at the window, this time with Kes quite contently nestled against his chest. He was talking to the boy quietly, telling him everything he could about the things he had to look forward to in life. She watched him intently, taking in every small detail about her husband she may have missed over the last few days.

He had not been wearing his glasses as usual; instead they sat on his bedside table. The mess that he had left his slightly longer than usual hair in every time he ran his hand through it, stray loose locks hanging down over his forehead. The 5 o’clock shadow that had been appearing on his usually clean shaven face over the last few days that made her stomach do the smallest of flips. She saved that thought for later, making a memo to remind him to forgo shaving a little more often. Everything about him in that instant as she watched him silently told her he was a father. A good one, something she had never doubted he would be even before they had contemplated having a family of their own. Ben moved slightly, turning away from her completely and making the muscles in his back tighten and Rey couldn’t help but stare lower.

She was drawn away from her thoughts by the sound of him clearing his throat, a roguish smirk settled on his face in a way that reminded her of Han, having turned around and caught her watching him. “See something you like?” he asked her in a low tone that really should be considered sinful.

Rey gulped. _Dangerous line of thought, Rey._ “Well the baby is pretty cute,” she replied nonchalantly with her own smirk as if she hadn’t just been caught staring at her husband’s backside. She promptly dropped the towel that covered her as she went to their bag and pulled out one of Ben’s shirts and some loose pyjama shorts.

“Good shower?” he asked, staring anywhere but at her until he was sure she was dressed.

“Mhmm, I could have stayed in there for days.” Once dressed she padded over to them. “Did he wake up?”

“Needed a diaper change. You didn’t miss anything, just another wet one.” He passed the baby to her gently and kissed her still wet hair.

She shook her head and hummed in contentment as she pulled Kes to her chest. Ben moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. They stood like that for a while, relishing the time they had as a threesome.

“Mom called while you were in the shower; wanted to know if She and Maz could come and see us. I said I’d ask and get back to them.” He told her.

Rey frowned. “Ben, you’re 26 you don’t need to _ask,_ dear _.”_ She told him not unkindly.

“No, but I’m not the one that needs to rest. We won’t get these first days again, not for him. I don’t want to say yes come on over when you may want us to spend a few days alone.”

She nodded, understanding what he meant. It was true, she didn’t want to share her boys with anyone but she knew how excited their mothers were that they were now grandparents. “It would be nice to see them. I’m going a bit stir crazy in here seeing the same faces anyway. We’ll have our alone time when we’re home.” As she finished her sentence she remembered she had to do something before their mothers arrived.

“Speaking of alone time,” she told him quietly, “I have a present for you.”

Ben looked perplexed, one eyebrow raised. He knew this wasn’t going where it usually went when she said things like that. “You mean, giving me my son isn’t a big enough gift?”

“Oh, he is. I just think you deserve a little something more,” she replied cryptically as she placed Kes into the bassinet. She began to rummage through the hospital bag to find the small velvet ring box she had stashed in there. It was a miracle Ben hadn’t found it himself by now.

She gently placed it in his hand and sat down, watching him expectantly.

He rewarded her with one of his lopsided smiles that she loved the most. “Sweetheart, you realise we’ve been married for 2 years right?”

She rolled her eyes and grinned. “Just open it you fool.”

He said nothing more and opened the box, his brow furrowed as he carefully removed the black tungsten ring and looked at it properly as he turned it, admiring the silver indents on it. After a few moments he connected the dots. “Are those..?”

“Sound waves? Yes. I took a recording for you when Rose and I went for my 4 month check up and I completely forgot I had it until I found it in my phone a few weeks ago.” She explained. “This is his heartbeat. On the other side there’s room for his na-“

She went to carry on but instead found his lips on hers, cutting her off as he pulled her to his chest. For a man of few words when it came to emotions, his actions spoke a thousand.

They stood like that for what felt like forever, perfectly wrapped up in their own tiny cocoon as they deepened the kiss.

When they pulled apart he rested his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes. “So, you like it?” she asked breathlessly.

His lips quirked upwards in amusement as he took in how completely undone she looked by a simple kiss. “No,” he told her. “I love it.”

 

* * *

 

A few hours later, someone arrived to show them to the small makeshift newborn photography area set up just down from their room. The session was a baby shower gift from Amilyn, and they had already had a few informal photos taken shortly after the birth.

The couple had changed into clean presentable clothing, Ben in a plaid shirt and dark jeans, Rey in a blue and white striped maternity top and leggings. They had brought the few different outfits and blanket that the photographer had asked for.

He first decided to take photos of Kes on his own and had asked if they would be willing to give him their wedding rings for one set. He placed one ring on one big toe and one on the other, and also did a set where the rings were placed gently on one of the boys tiny hands. He next shot a photo of Ben holding Kes to his chest in a sitting position, his hands cupped around the boys small feet. Before moving onto full body shots, he ended with a photo of their hands pressed together in size order; Ben, Rey and finally their little boy.

Kes slept on through two different clothing changes and various position shifts. Rey knew her favourite was going to be the photo of Kes swaddled in between the both of them, their foreheads touching gently as they looked down at their son in their arms.

Rey couldn’t wait to see the end result, she could tell already she was probably going to end up buying them all. Even if she didn’t like how she looked in them, this was their _first_ family portrait after all. 

 

* * *

 

Once they returned to their room, It wasn’t long before they were joined by their mothers. As expected they instantly began to fuss over their grandson, giving Ben and Rey time to get their bearings before Ahsoka or Amilyn arrived to discharge them.

Ben had just started to move the table on wheels to the bottom of the bed to create some space when Rey stopped him. “No don’t put the table down there,” she asked quickly.

He raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was talking about. “Why? It’s in your way sweetheart.”

“I like seeing my feet,” she said almost shyly. “It’s been a while.” She wiggled her toes to emphasise her point.

Ben snorted at her admission and shook his head.

“You know,” Maz spoke up. “I can already see changes in him.” She said as Ben stripped the boy off to change his diaper again.

Maz was right of course. In the 36 hours since birth, his skin was not as red and had lightened to a blend of both his mother and father’s, and the puffiness of his cheeks had gone down drastically. They could clearly see now that he definitely had Rey’s nose and ears and Ben’s plush lips and scowl. They’d have a while to wait yet to see what colour his eyes would finally become. They didn’t even need to question whose hair he had.

They were in the middle of filling their mothers in about the last day and a half while Ben was changing the baby, when there was a small knock at the door. Ben called for the person to come in and Amilyn entered with Ahsoka at her back.

Rey brightly smiled at the women while Leia got gingerly to her feet and wrapped Amilyn in a hug. “We’re here to give you both a last quick check over and to do Kes’ last few tests. The lactation specialist wants to come and talk to you and then you’re both free to take your little man home, Rey.” Ahsoka told them with her beaming smile.

“Whoa okay,” Ben said as pulled the diaper open, finding more than just a wet one this time.

Rey looked over and grimaced. “That looks too much like Marmite for my liking.”

Ben and their mothers laughed, knowing how much she loved Marmite, it was something they always had in their cupboard at home.

“Just be grateful it doesn’t smell yet.” Leia winked.

Once Ben had cleaned Kes up and placed a clean diaper back on, he put him back into the bassinet so they could do their tests before putting clean clothing on him.

The women quickly checked the baby over. They listened to his heart, measured him from head to toe and weighed him, before quickly pricking his heel with a needle to extract a small amount of blood for a screening process. Kes began to cry heartily as they did so, which made Rey turn and bury her face into Ben’s stomach as he stood beside her and willed herself not to cry too.

Once Kes had calmed down, Amilyn tested his hearing while Ahsoka gave Rey one finally check over and left to fill out her discharge papers, much to Rey’s relief.

“I think this little man is ready to go home,” Amilyn told them as she finished his hearing test. “Everything is perfect. He has lost a little bit of weight but that is very normal in the first week. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and he will be surpassing his birth weight before you know it.” They both breathed a sigh of relief. Amilyn smiled knowingly at the them. “Is there anything you need to ask before we let you go?”

They shook their heads, feeling that between their OB/GYN and their midwife, they had been set up well with information. After Amilyn had gone through the last few bits of information they would need along with giving them the paperwork, birth certificate, multiple hand and footprints they had made of him and ensuring they had a safe car seat installed in their vehicle, they were all free to leave. Rey hugged the two women tightly, thanking them for all they had done to help her and their son, Amilyn ensured she would visit them as often as she could. They carefully dressed Kes and put him in his snowsuit and hat to protect him from the cooler weather.

It was nearly dark when they had gathered all of their belongings and left the clinic. Ben walked ahead of Rey and their mothers with the baby, carrier in one hand and their hospital bag flug over the other shoulder, while Maz carried the gift bag and balloons. Rey snapped a quick photo to add to her already growing collection.

“Ben, I asked your father to turn the lights on for you at the house,” Leia told him as he secured Kes’ car seat into the back of the car. “I made sure the sheets were changed on your bed too and there’s a casserole defrosting in your fridge. Make sure you eat it,” she said pointedly, knowing he had a tendency to forget about himself as long as Rey and the baby were sorted.

“We will mom,” he said softly. “Thank you for everything you’ve all done for us.” He kissed her on the cheek and repeated the same for Maz.

Rey hugged them both goodbye and got into the car, as Ben started the engine and pulled out of the clinic parking lot and started in the direction of their home.

They were more relieved than they thought they would have been when they pulled into their driveway, seeing that Han had indeed left the downstairs and garage flood lights on so they could see what they were doing.

“Home sweet home,” Ben murmured as he switched the engine off and turned to look at her. He tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear and smiled reassuringly. It felt odd but strangely pleasant knowing they were alone now. It really was the start of their new life together.

They started to unpack the car, Ben detached the baby carrier and caught Rey’s attention. “I can grab the bags, you unlock the door and get yourselves settled.”

Rey reached up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek before taking Kes and Ben’s keys and heading to the front door.

He joined her as she opened the door and was hit by the warmth of the central heating. Han must have turned on the heat when he came by earlier.

Rey, who was shivering by this point, was grateful for his forward planning. She hadn’t realised how warm the birth centre was as she had been there for so many hours. Ben ushered her in and closed the door behind them.

Ben got to work on reheating their food while Rey removed her shoes and took charge in taking Kes out of his carrier and taking him up to their bedroom to get comfortable. She found that the bedside crib they had bought had been set up next to her side of the bed. As she laid him down in it - gently after pulling off his snowsuit - she relished in the soft plush rug under her feet on the bedroom floor, instead of the hard hospital floor that she had been used to for the past few days.

She sank down into the mattress, and leaned against the headboard, shutting her eyes. She was glad to be home and couldn’t wait to see what the next few days would bring.


	16. One Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Remember when we went to see the Incredibles 2 and laughed because Mr Incredible was kept awake for days by Jak Jak while he caused trouble?” Rey asked her husband as they went through the motions of finding out why their son was crying at 3:40am one morning. 
> 
> Ben nodded, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 
> 
> “Well it’s not that funny anymore.” She told him with a tired smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heres chapter 16! Thank you for your wonderful comments, they mean more to me than you know!
> 
> An extra special thank you to ReyloRobyn2011 for her advice on this chapter. 
> 
> I must advise that this one does include smut, so please heed the update to the tags! If you're not comfortable with it please scroll down to where the stars end. 
> 
> A big thank you as always to Bunilicious for her delicious moodboard and being an amazing Beta <3

 

“Remember when we went to see the Incredibles 2  and laughed because Mr Incredible was kept awake for days by Jak Jak while he caused shenanigans?” Rey asked her husband as they went through the motions of finding out why their son was crying at 3:40am one morning.

Ben nodded, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Well, it’s not that funny anymore,” she told him with a tired smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Kes was now a whole week old. The couple were slowly adjusting to being a family of three, and, despite the broken sleep and sore nipples and breasts, things were going well. The boy had been going from strength to strength, and was now just above his birth weight.

Rey hissed in discomfort as Kes latched on and began suckling. It had, however, been a difficult week for her. While her milk had now properly come in, it was building up faster than Kes was able to take it, which left her with excessively swollen and painful breasts.

Ben watched her with concern. He knew Rey was in pain, but she was also incredibly stubborn -  and he knew that for her to admit to the pain would also mean her treating it as though she had failed at something.

“Maybe we should speak to Amilyn in the morning?” He asked her tentatively, not wanting to upset her by making her think he didn’t think she was able to cope with it.

Rey sighed and looked at him. “I think you may be right.”

She shifted uncomfortably as Kes slowly stopped nursing and instead fell back to sleep. She gently placed him back in the bassinet connected to her side of the bed and settled against the headboard.

Instead of buttoning her nightshirt back up, she gently began massaging her breasts in hope of gaining some, _any_ , comfort. Much to her irritation, she had little luck.

***Ben watched her as she became frustrated with the discomfort, and before he could think twice, he spoke.

“I uh.. Can I help..?” he asked shyly, hoping she didn’t think badly of him. He would do anything possible if it meant making her feel better.

At her wits end, Rey nodded readily. After ensuring the baby was sleeping soundly, she led him to the bathroom and turned the shower on, hoping the heat would help ease the strain. As they both stripped off, she couldn’t help but watch Ben. Despite the trauma her body had gone through just a week ago, she would be lying if she said she wouldn’t jump him the minute she was given the okay to by Amilyn.

They stood under the hot water with her back against his broad chest, his hands running up and down her sides soothingly. He removed her hands from her breasts and took over, gently massaging one and then the other until small beads of milk gathered at the tip of her nipples.

His kneading intensified as the flow of milk picked up, spurred on by the heat of the shower and Reys increasing arousal as he pinched and traced her nipples with his forefinger and thumb.

His mouth became dry as he watched the milk drip down over his fingers and mingle with the flow of the shower water. He couldn’t help but wonder how it tasted, was putting his fingers to his mouth too far? He could feel himself hardening behind her at the thought.

He was distracted by the sound of his wife’s breathy sighs of contentment and arousal. Her head fell back against his chest, as her eyes closed. He bent his head down to place kisses in the crook of her neck and along her shoulder blade.

Rey whimpered, drawing his attention back to her face. “What’s wrong?” he asked, “I’m not hurting you am I?”

She shook her head vigorously and whined. “It's not enough,” she told him. “Please..”

“Please what, Rey?” He asked, his smooth voice and that damn smirk making her want to squeeze her thighs together tightly.

“Use your mouth,” she begged.

He didn’t need to hear anymore.  He turned her around to face him and pushed her so her back was against the shower wall. He leaned down and kissed from the side of her lithe neck and collarbone until he reached her breast. He took one dusky pink nipple into his mouth and sucked lightly as he massaged the other. Hearing her moan softly sent shockwaves to his core.

Ben would never forget the taste of her sweet milk, likened only to honey in his mind. Rey’s hand snaked around the back of his neck, and she held his head in place as his mouth filled with the sweet nectar of the woman he loved.

He carried on until the flow from her breast eased and then stopped altogether and moved on to the other breast, carrying out the same motions until the flow eased, but didn’t stop. He wanted to ensure that she could still feed their son but remain comfortable while doing so.

Once they were done, Ben kissed her deeply as he cleaned her of the still slightly sticky liquid. As he pulled away, Rey breathed a sigh of relief as she palmed her now soft and painless breasts before wrapping herself in a towel.

“What about you?” She asked, peering down at the painful looking erection straining in between his legs.

He smirked again as he grabbed his own towel and wrapped it around his waist. “What about me? Sweetheart, I got exactly what I wanted out of that.”

 

 

* * *

 

The next day, the couple decided to take their first trip out of the house as a family of three. They had not been out since they had returned 6 days ago, with the exception of grabbing the milk from the doorstep.

While they were waiting for Rey to get ready, Ben strapped him into the carseat and clipped it into the scroller. He straightened Kes’ hat, ensuring it covered his small ears properly. Winter was coming, the chill in the autumn air was beginning to get a bite to it.

He was just putting his jacket on when he heard Rey’s voice coming nearer to the top of the stairs. He couldn’t make out exactly what she was saying, only that it was Amilyn she was speaking to on the phone.

To make the most of the time he checked the changing bag again, ensuring they had everything they needed for the short trip. He knew he was being neurotic, he had checked the bag twice already.

He turned around as he heard Rey’s light footsteps on the stairs as she zipped up the jacket she was wearing and made her way towards him. “Everything okay?” He asked her as he passed her a scarf.

“Fine. Just getting some advice from Amilyn.” She proceeded to tell him what Amilyn had recommended about her breasts, making a note that she should buy some milk storage bags so she could pump and store it to save it going to waste.

_Not that it went to waste last night_ , she thought to herself, suppressing a smug grin. It also meant that Ben could start to feed Kes if they had milk stored, something she hadn’t yet thought about.

They left the house and walked in the direction of the town. It was a pleasant day, despite the nip in the air. The sun was shining and Rey couldn’t help but smile as they strolled leisurely through the park. She had everything she ever wanted, even if she did feel exhausted.

“What do you feel like doing for Thanksgiving this year?” Ben asked her as they walked.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I was thinking we could see if we could get everyone into one house?” she suggested.

He nodded. The couple usually had alternating Thanksgiving plans, one year at the Solo’s and then the next year at the Kanata’s. However, now that they had Kes it made sense to think about it from his point of view. How nice it would be for both families to come together under one roof, just like they did when they were children.

“It’s a good idea,” he agreed. “We can talk to mom later.” Leia had been kind enough to help them around the house every afternoon since they had first come home. Rey initially had high hopes of doing chores while the baby slept, however when it came to fruition, sleep came first. “I’m sure the only problem our mothers will have is whose house to use,” he joked.

They decided to pass by the studio to see if Jyn was around, Today was the day Jyn had scheduled her new classes. Rey couldn’t wait to show off her son to anyone that would let her, especially her close friends that had not yet met him.

As they stopped outside, they saw the light on in the classroom and office. Ben helped Rey to push the stroller into the doorway of the studio and quietly closed the door behind them. They heard footsteps approaching from the office and Jyns head appeared in the doorway.

A wide grin spread across her face as she saw the family. She wrapped Rey in a tight hug and told her how pleased she was to see her. She turned to Ben and hugged him, he stood there with a slightly awkward look on his face but still politely returned the hug. As she let him go she turned to the baby in the stroller.

“Oh my,” she breathed as she took a good look at the little boy who was blissfully fast asleep. “Look at his wee face,” she beamed at Rey. “You make beautiful babies.”

“Well, I don’t want to be biased but I agree,” Rey told her with a grin. She bent forward and took off his hat to show off his thick hair and tucked the blanket down so Jyn could see him better.

They spoke for a few minutes about how they were adjusting to life as parents and how Kes was doing. Rey was relieved to tell her that for the most part unless it was for a feed or a nappy change, he was a happy and contented, quiet baby. She _knew_ it would not stay like that for long, of course she knew. But for the moment she was grateful that they could just carry on at their own pace.

Jyn invited Rey to have a look round at what the students had been working on in the previous class, while Ben quietly stayed at the front of the classroom with the baby, perched on the desk. 

As they looked around the classroom admiring differently pieces of work, Kes started whimpering. Ben unclipped him from the scroller and held him to his chest reassuringly, hoping the boy would be soothed by his presence.

It became apparent that a simple cuddle was not going to soothe the baby, and Rey returned to them. “Jyn, could I use the office to feed him please?” she asked.

“It’s your office dear, of course you can,” Jyn told her kindly.

While Rey fed their son, Ben helped Jyn to set up the easels as he did with Rey during her pregnancy. They chatted while they waited until students began to appear, and Ben dismissed himself to the office.

He found Rey changing the baby, having finished feeding fairly quickly. They began to hear the sound of people arriving so he helped her pack everything back up and got ready to leave, not wanting to disrupt Jyn’s class.

The women hugged each other goodbye, with Rey promising to meet her for coffee when they were more settled and quickly left.

They continued in the direction of the mall. As well as buying what they needed for Rey, they also decided that it was a good chance to finally buy some clothes suited to having a boy. Ben saw the joyful expression on Rey’s face and realised he may need to look into remortgaging their house sooner rather than later.

By the time they were on their way home, Kes had a total of 9 new outfits. He was still grumbling that he had been emotionally blackmailed when it came to two of the outfits Rey had shown him. One was space themed with the text “ _I am daddy’s star and he is my sky”_ written on it. As much as he claimed otherwise, Ben had a real soft spot for the clothes that were son and daddy themed.

They saw Han’s Falcon parked beside Ben’s car in their driveway, meaning that his parents must already have arrived for the afternoon already.

Rey handed him the keys and they let themselves in. They could hear Leia humming to herself softly in the kitchen, the smell of her mother's signature cinnamon cookies wafting through the air. It was a smell that both Ben and Rey had learnt to associate with the Thanksgiving and Christmases of their childhood.

Rey unclipped Kes from his car seat and carried him in to see her while Ben took the bags in. They found her piling the still warm cookies onto a plate, trying to herd Han away from them at the same time.

“Han Solo you remove your hands from that plate or so help me I will,” Leia scolded as she slapped his hand with the back of a spatula.

He pulled his hand back quickly. “Aw come on, Princess,” Han started, only for Ben to try grabbing one from her other side. She hit his hand just as hard, making him yelp loudly and recoil.

“Solos,” she sighed dramatically and threw her hands up in the air. “Just because he was raised without manners Benjamin Solo does not mean you can copy him. I brought you up better,” Leia sniffed. “Just for that, you can go and help your father with the shopping.”

“But mom,” Ben whined childishly.

“Don’t ‘mom’ me. Go on, get!” She waved the spatula at him threateningly but instead handed him the shopping list he saw Rey writing that morning. “Go on, the sooner you go, the sooner you can have a cookie,” Leia told him. He heard her mutter _Nerfherders_ under her breath as he backed away.

Rey laughed at the sight of her six foot five husband cowering away from his five foot tall mother as she brandished a rubber spatula.

“C’mon kid, we can grab a beer on the way back,” Han told him, clapping him on the shoulder and leaving the kitchen.

Ben kissed Rey on the cheek and Kes on his forehead before leaving the kitchen with his father and heading back out of the warm house.

 

* * *

 

Leia placed a hot cup of tea and a cookie in front of Rey as she sat at the table with Kes in the crook of her arm.

They had been discussing Thanksgiving plans while the house was quiet. Rey told Leia that she and Ben were hoping to have everyone under one roof if it was possible, considering it would be the first one with the baby and they didn’t want anyone to be left out. Leia thought it was an excellent idea, it brought back many memories of when Rey and Ben were younger and they frequently celebrated holidays together.

“I will speak to Maz and see if we can come up with something,” Leia told her. “It would be nice to spend the holiday together again. And now that you’re a mother of your own it would be a good chance to finally teach you how to make these for _your_ little boy,” she winked as she took a bite out of a cookie.

Rey smiled. Leia had been promising to show her how to make these since she was a child. It was a family tradition that was passed down from mother to daughter, or in this case daughter in law, when they had children of their own. To Rey, it was just another way that Leia treated her as good as she would have treated a daughter of her own.

They heard the sound of a car door closing and a key turning in the door, signalling that Han and Ben had finally returned. It was beginning to feel quite odd to be away from her husband, after spending so much time permanently around him since he’d started paternity leave. They rarely ever went out without the other to begin with.

He walked into the kitchen carrying multiple grocery bags. His cheeks, bright red from the chill in the air outside, contrasted against his pale skin and dark hair. Han followed him in with the remaining bags and started putting everything away.

Once they were done, they made their excuses to leave the young family for the night. As much as she loved her in laws and all they were doing for them, Rey _really_ wanted to nap as much as she could while the baby was down.

Ben bent down in front of her and she realised he had been trying to get her attention while she was off in a world of her own. “Yes? Sorry. I was thinking,” she said simply.

“I was saying, if you want to rest I can do his last feed and change him,” he told her softly, resting his hand on her cheek. “It would be a good chance to test the new bottles. You expressed it this morning, didn’t you?”

She nuzzled deeper, kissing his warm hand and closed her eyes before shaking her head. “I’d like to feed him. Maybe we can start another day.” As much as it hurt, she _loved_ feeding their son. She _loved_ knowing it was her body that he fed from, and she _loved_ how it bonded them. She was not ready to let that go just yet. “But if you wouldn’t mind getting him ready for bed, I wouldn’t say no.

He smiled softly at her and nodded. “Of course, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead and stood up to go and get everything ready while she took Kes to the bedroom.

Once he was fed and content, Ben took him to the nursery to change his diaper and clothes. He spoke to the boy every time he changed him, and some nights when he couldn’t settle Ben would bring him to the nursery and read to him quietly to make sure Rey got as much sleep as she could. He loved their time together as a family, but the times that were just between father and son held a special place in his heart.

He was not aware, as he sat down in the rocking chair with his son and began to read softly, that his wife was not 15 feet away, listening to them with a tender smile on her face.


	17. Three Weeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He made next to no sound as he removed the bags from the room, sensing that Kes was nearly asleep and that Rey would probably slice him into tiny pieces and hide him under the floorboards if he woke him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your wonderful comments, I love each and everyone of them and they're encouraging me to carry on. The song that's featured in this chapter is one that's very dear to me. It was one my own mama used to sing to me as a little girl, so in a way its a tribute to her. 
> 
> Originally this chapter was extremely long, so I've split it into two instead of cutting bits out. 
> 
> Thank you as always to my wonderful beta Buni. I adore your work <3

 

It was the day before Thanksgiving, and Rey was occupying herself by making a decadent pumpkin pie, while Ben packed everything for a few days away at her parents.

Between Maz and Leia, they decided Maz and Chewie would host their first joint family Thanksgiving, while Leia and Han would host Christmas.

Rey would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited for a restful long weekend. In between the excitement of becoming a first time parent, and the introduction of a new routine into their otherwise quiet lives, the first month of Kes’ life had almost flown by.

She knew Kes would barely be aware of the wonderful traditions of their family Thanksgivings, but nonetheless she couldn’t wait to spend the day as a family of three amongst their relatives for the first time.

She was busy pouring the pumpkin mixture into the pie crust when she felt the heat of Ben's hard chest press against her back and his arms cage her in against the countertop.

His plush lips pressed against the crook of her neck making her smile and close her eyes, at risk of dropping the mixing bowl into the dessert.

“Where’s the baby?” she asked breathlessly. How ridiculous it was for the man to _still_ have this effect on her after so many years?

“Mm, he’s loading the car for me.” She felt him smile as he spoke.

Rey put the bowl down on the side and turned to him, a predatory grin spread across her face in reaction to his smirk. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt his arms slide around her waist.

“He’s sleeping soundly in his crib.” Ben waved a baby monitor at her and set it on the counter. He had already put the bedside crib in the car, so it made sense that he rested in his nursery while they got ready.

He leant forward and captured her lips softly, the sweet taste of herself and pumpkin spice filling his mouth. She exhaled deeply as she pulled him closer and expertly deepened the kiss. Ben growled in response, sliding his leg in between hers. They moved in sync, in the way only a couple that had mastered each other’s bodies could.

The sensation of the newly grown stubble of facial hair rubbed against her top lip and chin. It was something she was still getting used to, never really seeing Ben anything other than clean shaven, but boy was it growing on her.

His lips moved from her mouth to her jaw, her head falling back to give him better access. He nibbled his way down her neck, stopping to kiss and suck a mark into her collarbone when a loud cry interrupted them from the baby monitor behind them.

Ben rested his head against her shoulder as she started to laugh. Her arms slid from his neck to his backside, tapping gently. “I’ll get him. Can you finish the pie and get it in the oven for me?” He unwillingly let go of her waist and nodded, smiling.

She left the kitchen quickly as she followed the wailing cries of her son. She was beginning to learn how to differentiate his cries from each other. Kes had gotten more restless in the last few weeks, often crying, sometimes for hours, with no resolution. However despite that, he was a happy baby underneath. He had begun to coo when they spoke to him and wave his arms around. He was developing his own little personality with every day that passed.

As she stepped into the nursery, she noticed Ben had left the changing bag and small clothing bag by the door along with the mobile that they had recently put up. The baby seemed to love watching it.

She swaddled and scooped up the sobbing child, speaking soothingly to him as she stroked his cheeks with her fingers. The way his little face reddened with every cry and his fists clenched pulled on her heartstrings. She tried to calm him, starting to sing quietly.

 

* * *

 

Ben listened to his wife sing and soothe their son from the kitchen as he silently put the pie in the oven and tidied up.

For you, there'll be no more crying.  
For you, the sun will be shining.  
And I feel that when I'm with you,  
It's alright, I know it's right.

He marvelled at how easily she slipped from the role of a wife to that of a doting mother. He knew she struggled when Kes cried relentlessly seemingly without reason, but that never stopped her trying.

 _And the songbirds are singing, like they know the score._ _  
_ _And I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before._

He smiled softly as he realised the baby had quieted, most likely just staring up at her as he usually did when she sang. He couldn’t have a better mother to his child, even if he _was_ able to choose.

He stood with his eyes closed and played with his soundwave ring, turning it on his finger as he listened to her chatter to the boy while she changed him. When he had finished tidying up, he slowly walked upstairs to find them in the rocking chair as she hummed.

He made next to no sound as he removed the bags from the room, sensing that Kes was nearly asleep and that Rey would probably slice him into tiny pieces and hide him under the floorboards if he woke him up.

It had almost gone dark when had put all the bags in the car. _How does one small baby need so much stuff?_ Ben came back to find her in the kitchen pulling out the freshly cooked pie.

She smiled brightly as he entered and pointed to a small piece of folded up paper towel on the table. He raised his eyebrow in confusion and looked closer at what she was referring to. It had taken slightly longer than usual, but the baby’s umbilical cord had finally fallen off, leaving a fresh and tiny belly button behind.

Ben was glad, he was constantly worried he would accidentally catch it on a piece of clothing or a nappy. He folded the paper towel back up and put it in a small plastic ziplock bag to keep it safe until they came back from their weekend away. They had a box dedicated to all of their sons firsts: a lock of hair, their hospital bands, his foot/hand prints and scan photos, and now his stump.

Despite this, he felt a tinge of sadness. While they had decided to try and have at least one more child in the future, they would never have those first few weeks with their firstborn again. It was a sign that he was growing up. And quickly.

Once they were sure they had everything and made sure they had enough time between feeds and changes, they strapped Kes into the car and set off towards Maz and Chewie’s house.

 

* * *

 

“My babies!” Leia squealed as she wrapped her arms around Rey. She kissed the infant Rey was holding on the forehead the minute she threw open the front door.

“What am I, a next-door neighbour? Ben snarked as he dropped the small suitcase that contained both his and Rey’s clothes, and the bag that contained Kes’ things to the hall floor.

Leia rolled her eyes and embraced him. “You don’t even like hugs!” she snipped, mouthing the words “drama queen” to Rey behind his back. Ben smirked as Leia released him from her hug and made a shooing motion with her hands.

“I’m just going to put these upstairs and get the bedside crib set up.” he told Rey, kissing her on the cheek and heading towards the stairs.

Rey followed Leia into the heart of her childhood home and found Maz preparing the turkey for tomorrow’s dinner. The turkey looked as though it was more than half of the small woman’s size. “Hi Mama,” she said with a smile.

Maz looked up and smiled widely back. She let go of the turkey and went to wash her hands so she could hug her daughter and take her grandson from her arms.

Rey gently passed Kes to her mother and looked around. “Where’s Daddy?” she asked.

“Out back with Han, they said they were chopping firewood but I noticed the good whiskey is not on the shelf,” Maz snorted and their ridiculous excuse.

Rey shook her head and laughed. She needn't have asked, really. As she was watching Maz with Kes, she remembered she had left the pie in the car and quickly went to get it. As she walked back through the house she met Ben who was coming back downstairs after getting everything set up.

“Okay?” he asked, tucking a tendril of hair behind her ear and held his hands out, offering to take the pie from her.

She nodded but held onto the dish harder. “It's hardly strenuous, Benny.”

He didn’t push the matter and instead changed the subject. “Do you fancy giving him a bath tonight?” he asked hopefully.

Rey thought for a moment. It would be a good time to do it, they could ensure one of their parents could take some photos for them. And it _would_ be easier than top and tailing him. Another special moment to take place on a special holiday.

She simply smiled. “Yes, i think that's a wonderful idea.”

 

* * *

 

They had finished their pre-thanksgiving dinner of take out and had taken Kes upstairs to get him ready for his bath. Chewie had opted to take photos of the moment having seen the least of his grandson recently. The couple hoped that the water didn’t upset the boy too much.

Ben undressed the baby and held onto him as Rey filled the small plastic tub with water, using her elbow.

“So I press this button?” Chewie asked cautiously as he held Ben's camera in his large hand.

“Yeah, that’s right, Uncle Chewie,” Ben reassured him as the baby fussed in his arms.

After testing that Chewie knew what to do as he stood at the foot of the small tub, Ben knelt down on the floor on the opposite side to Rey and, holding onto his bottom and neck, lowered the tot into the water.

Kes flailed his arms around but didn’t become upset. Instead he began to coo at his parents as they spoke to him and reassured him. Ben kept his hands under him while Rey carefully washed his tiny body.

“Look at you!” Rey cooed at him as she gently wiped his eyes with cotton wool. “who’s my brave baby boy?” He scrunched up his tiny face as she wiped him, clearly not enjoying that part of it

After a few minutes they removed him from the bath and thoroughly dried him, put a clean diaper on and redressed him in fresh clothes.

They decided it was time for bed, so took him downstairs to say goodnight to each of his grandparents. They found Chewie showing off the photos he had taken, with Leia sending some to herself to keep.

The couple said goodnight to everyone and retired to their bedroom. It had been a long day with an early start.

Rey began to feed Kes before she settled down to bed, hoping that he would sleep for as long as possible. The only thing she was worried about was waking their parents up. However, they were all in a separate wing on the opposite side of the house, giving the young family some privacy.

It didn’t matter how many times Ben walked in to find his wife with her blouse unbuttoned feeding their son. It always took his breath away.

Not only was it a beautiful sight to see, but it also did things to him that he couldn’t and wouldn’t act on, not until she was recovered and ready.

She smiled at him fondly as he laid down beside her, laying his head against her shoulder and stroking his hand through his sons thick dark hair.

If there was one thing he would be grateful for this Thanksgiving, it was moments like this.


	18. Three Weeks Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I married the wrong woman.” Han told her with childlike wonder.
> 
> Before Leia could snipe a reply to her husband, Ben spoke. “Maz, please don’t let my mother carve the turkey. Think of your grandson.” 
> 
> “I won’t need to, she’ll be carving your father instead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heres part 2 of Thanksgiving! Thanks for your wonderful comments as usual. This one is gifted to the wonderful Becca (LoveofEscapism), who helped me pick out Chewie's song. I know things have been hellish for you in the past few months, but you've fought through and I'm proud of you. Every single day! You're so important to so many people <3
> 
> Thanks to my lovely beta and friend, Bunilicious for correcting my horrendous grammar and making the beautiful moodboard <3

 

Ben slowly awoke the next morning with Rey curled up bedside him. The bright morning light was flowing in from the thin curtains on the window, making him bury his face in his pillow with a groan. They  _ had  _ to put up the temporary blackout blind they brought with them tonight. He sat up slowly, trying his best not to disturb Rey. The baby had woken up only once during the night, which was a personal best for him. It meant Rey had finally had a good night's sleep and he was not in a hurry to disturb her. 

As he slowly moved, a small whimpering and snuffling noise came from the crib beside Rey. Ben checked that his wife was still in a comfortable sleep, knowing how much of a light sleeper she had become since becoming a mother. 

Ben slipped out of bed, finding his undershirt that was lying on the bedroom floor and quickly put it on before scooping the infant up, grabbing a blanket and leaving the bedroom quietly. 

He crept downstairs silently, not hearing any movement from the other part of the house. As he walked into the kitchen, he switched on the coffee maker and slipped outside onto the back porch.

The cool autumn air was a relief from the heat inside the house as it blew gently against his face. Ben’s body had always run hot; it was one of the reasons Rey gravitated towards him at night. He tucked the blanket tighter around the contented baby in his arms to make sure he was warm enough.

He heard the door creak open behind him as he took in the picturesque scenery of the countryside. He expected his mother, being the early riser she was, only to hear Han speak.

“I used to stand here with you when you were just a baby yourself.” Han told him, his gruff voice thick with sleep. He placed two cups of black coffee on the table and went to stand beside his son.

“It always soothed you when we couldn’t settle you while we were here. Seems like deja vu seeing you standing here with your own son.” 

Ben smiled as he thought about his father, minus the greying hair and aging lines on his face, standing in this exact position 28 years ago with him in his arms. 

“Feeling your age old man?” Ben teased him with a wide crooked smile.

“Ain’t that the truth?” Han chuckled as he picked up and sipped his coffee. “Rey still asleep?”

“Mmm. He only woke up once during the night so this is her first chance of actually sleeping in.” Ben replied as he shifted Kes from the crook of his arm to his chest. 

Han cleared his throat. “I know that we’re not the most emotive of men, Ben.” He started awkwardly. “But I’m proud of you kid. I know sometimes I may’ve come off too brash or uncaring as you grew up..” 

He trailed off. He thought back to Ben’s childhood. All the C grades that Ben brought home that he had challenged and pushed him harder on. The arguments over college choices, job prospects and silly drunken antics.

“Dad..” 

Han cut him off. “No, Ben let me finish.”

Ben closed his mouth and gulped. He knew where this was going. 

“When you watch your only child become a parent themselves, you start to recognise the things you did wrong throughout their life.” Han paused, Ben could hear him letting out shallow breaths. This couldn’t have been easy for him. After all, Solo men _did not_ do emotions. “If I could have been half of the father you already are to that little mite, I would have fewer regrets.” 

They stood in silence for a few moments while Ben mulled over his father’s words. 

“I never.. I never held it against you, dad.” He told his father. “I knew, know, you love me. I know that you were tough on me because you wanted me to do the best I could in life, to build a future I was proud of. Not because you didn’t care.” 

Ben cleared his throat and looked down at the baby resting snuggly against his chest. “I admit.. I didn’t and couldn’t comprehend how you felt on the subject. But I do now. Because I would do the same. For him, for any of my children.” He stopped there to avoid his voice breaking.

Han sniffed. Ben dare not take his eyes off of the baby for fear of setting himself off further. 

“The only thing I ask,” Han said. “Is that you _show him_ as well as tell him that as he grows up. Because thinking you’ve failed your child is something I never want you to feel. I _am_ proud of you. For everything you’ve accomplished and built for yourself and your family.” He clapped Ben on the back gently, taking care not to jostle the sleeping infant. 

Ben nodded. He could do that. “Thanks Dad.” 

The conversation moved on to other things, such as the arrival of Ben’s Uncle Luke, his wife Mara and their daughter, Jaina from Colorado later that morning. Ben was surprised that Leia wasn’t hovering around the kitchen like a mother hen already. However, that may be because Maz had everything under control. 

 

* * *

 

Rey woke up to an empty room that morning. Her first reaction was to stretch her hand over to the crib. As her fingers brushed the cold sheet, her eyes shot open. As soon as she saw that Ben was missing too she relaxed, he had probably just gone downstairs. 

She threw on some pyjama bottoms and made sure her night shirt was buttoned up appropriately and went in search of her husband and son. 

She found Maz and Leia in the kitchen taking quietly over the breakfast bar. They turned to face her as her bare feet slapped against the tiled floor. 

“Good morning dear, how did you sleep? Leia asked as she sipped her coffee. 

“Very well, thank you. Baby only woke up once.” She smiled. “Speaking of Kes, has anyone seen my boys?”

Maz gestured to the patio doors with her mug. She looked and saw the back of Ben and Han standing together outside in deep conversation. She did not want to disturb them so she helped herself to a cup of tea and took a seat beside her mother and mother in law. “Do you need any help with anything?” She asked as she blew against her mug. 

“Well Maz has the turkey taken care of, The big boys have been banished from the kitchen, much to their satisfaction. I thought maybe we could make some cookies?” Leia asked innocently, with a small smirk. 

A huge grin spread across Rey’s face and her eyes lit up. “Yes!” 

She quickly went to freshen up and change her clothes into something more presentable and headed back to find Leia.

When she returned to the kitchen, she found Ben and Kes waiting for her. She smiled brightly and held her arms out for her son. Ben kissed her on the cheek and handed the baby over. 

She took him into the dining room to feed him privately before she helped Leia. She was surprised the boy had not yet begun to fuss, it was a good two hours later than her usual ‘lie in’, if she could call it that, which meant he was late for his first feed of the day. She was, however, grateful that Ben had let her sleep in. They would have to sort out expressing and freezing, so that Kes would not miss a feed. 

When she returned, she found that Ben had set up the baby bouncer in the kitchen for her so she could keep him with her while they baked. He had elected to go and chop the firewood that Han and Chewie had supposedly done the night before, while their fathers watched the football game. He had never been a football fan, it was one of the things Ben and Han had clashed on as he grew up, choosing instead to spend his time with Rey.  

She placed the baby in the chair and washed her hands before standing next to Leia at the breakfast bar and bouncing on the balls of her feet. The older woman shook her head, choosing to say nothing smiling at her excitement instead. 

As Leia set everything up, Rey looked out of the back doors and found herself staring at the rippling back of her husband as he sliced through blocks of wood by the woodshed. Rey shook her head, urging herself to look somewhere other than the flannel clad man.  _ Not now.  _

They set to work, Leia giving Rey the instructions and standing back, allowing her to make them herself only stepping in when help was needed. 

“Leia, how have you had this recipe for nearly 30 years and had the strength to only bake them a few times a year?” Rey marvelled as she had to forcibly stop herself from eating the sugary cookie dough.

“Who says I only bake them a few times a year?” Leia winked. 

Rey gaped at her and waited for Leia to elaborate. She only shrugged her shoulders and laughed. “It got easier to hide when Ben moved out. Kid could smell the damn things for miles, so good luck hiding them from him. Han, however, I could make them in front of him and he still wouldn’t realise what I was up to.”  

Rey slid the two trays of cookies into the oven and snorted in response. She would have to make a note of how long they took to make in future, because when Ben went back to work she’d be trialing that. 

After they had tidied up the bar and the cookies were cooling on the windowsill, Ben reemerged from the garden. “Your woodshed is full, Maz,” he told her as he brushed the debris off of his red and black sleeves.

Maz looked at him appreciatively. “You are a good boy.” She patted him on the cheek and let him go, muttering about her ‘useless husband’ under her breath.

The doorbell rang and Ben excused himself to change, prompting Rey to scoop up their son and follow. She felt like she had barely seen Ben at all since she had woken up. She could take the chance to change herself and the baby while she was at it too. 

When they eventually went back downstairs half an hour later, They found everyone milling around the kitchen. Luke and Leia were deep in discussion about something, Jaina had her head hidden in a book like the smart girl she was and their fathers were still immersed in the football game in the other room. 

“Ah! You _are_ alive.” Leia told them as they entered.  

“We had to change and baby needed a feed.” Ben told her, putting the camera he had brought with him on the small table next to them. 

Luke took the time to lean around Rey’s shoulder to look at his great nephew properly for the first time. “Good grief,” Luke gasped. “He looks like Han.” 

He began to laugh when Leia hit him with the dishcloth she was holding. “Don’t insult the poor creature, he’s just begun to live, Luke!”

“Leia please, I’m 68 years old.” Han whined indignantly as he stepped into the kitchen to get a beer.

Leia scoffed at him. “I was talking about the baby, you nerfherder. You’ve been living 10 years too long in my books.”

“Oh he’s precious.” Mara cooed as she stroked his tiny hand. “I can see you both in him. He’s certainly changed. You must put more photos of him on Facebook, we’d love to see. Jaina, come look.”

Jaina sighed and rolled her eyes. “Mom. It’s a baby,” she replied and went back to her book.

“Actually, I think I said that when Uncle Luke brought you to Christmas dinner when you were born, Jaina.” Ben said. “So, fair.”

“Complete with Skywalker sass and a book too if I recall.” Luke added before hugging his nephew and Rey. “You’re looking so well,” he told her quietly. 

“Mara, did you bring any of your cannoli’s this year?” Han asked hopefully.

“They’re in the fridge, Han.” Mara smiled at her brother in law and went back to helping Leia and Maz chop the vegetables.

“I married the wrong woman.” He told her with childlike wonder. 

Before Leia could snipe a reply to her husband, Ben spoke. “Maz, please don’t let my mother carve the turkey. Think of your grandson.” 

“I won’t need to, she’ll be carving your father instead.” 

Luke, ever the pacifist, decided to try and change the course of conversation as he turned to Rey. “So, Is there time before dinner to give you our shower gifts and acquaint ourselves with our great nephew?”

Rey had almost forgotten that the Skywalkers were unable to attend the baby shower. She smiled, “I think there's a few hours before dinner. Mom?” she asked Maz.

“Aiming for 2:30, dear. Knock yourself out,” she replied as she cut into a particularly hard carrot and glared at Han. “Han get over here and help an old woman out while your wife takes a break. I would take a break myself but after trusting you and my husband to chop the wood last night, we would never get dinner on the table.” She eyed Ben sympathetically. 

 

* * *

 

“He is wonderful.” Luke told them as he beamed down at the sleeping infant in his arms. “Just wonderful. You’ve done a good job with him.” His gentle reassuring voice was something Rey wondered if they could record. She was sure a time was coming that they would need that. 

Ben was currently taking photos of everyone taking turns in holding Kes to go in the album they had begun to construct at home. Even Jaina had been convinced and soon fell in love with her littlest cousin. Leia had also demanded that before anyone left the house or fell into a food coma that they had family photos of The Skywalkers, The Solos and The Kanatas taken.

Rey could feel her cheeks warming. They  _ had  _ done a great job, if she could say so herself. Their little boy was perfect in every way and people frequently stopped to tell them so. However, she knew they couldn’t take credit. Afterall, it was genetics. “We didn’t really do anything..” She’s trailed off.

Luke waved her off. “Oh nonsense. Birth is a miracle.” He softly passed Kes to Mara, who was patiently sitting next to him. 

Ben wanted to roll his eyes, badly. But he found that he couldn’t and instead he smiled. He couldn’t remember the last time he had his entire family that was still present in this life in one house. He was content to enjoy it for as long as possible before reality resurfaced. 

Luke and Mara offered them the large gift bag, laiden with small gifts for the baby and a card and present for Rey and Ben -  that Rey was hoping was chocolate. They had given them 3 new sets of clothes for Kes. 

As they unwrapped the fourth and final, Luke subtly winked at Ben. Inside was a tiny plaid shirt that was the double of Ben’s. Ben shook his head and grinned, that was another photo they would be taking, if Rey got her way. They opened the gift to them, a blue keepsake teddy bear with his name and birth details on. Rey instantly fell in love with it, it was beautiful. 

After thanking the family for their gifts, and everyone had finished cuddling the newborn, Rey took him upstairs to feed him and settle him before they sat down to dinner. The smell of their dinner was wafting up to their room, making Rey salivate. However she was enjoying the silence. Ben had opted to stay and teach Jaina a card game that they used to play when they were younger and help set the table. 

Leia called them all to let them know that dinner was ready, and she rebuttoned her blouse and took the sleeping infant downstairs. When she got to the dining room, she placed him in his bouncer next to the table where she could see him.

Everyone sat around the table quietly as Maz, Leia, Mara and Ben set the bowls of various foods around the table. Finally, Maz brought in the turkey and laid it in front of Chewie. They had decided that as it was being hosted by the Kanatas, it made sense that one of them carved. If only to ensure Leia did not impale Han with the knife.

Leia broke the silence that had settled while Chewie carved. “Before we start to eat, I want each of us to share something we’re all thankful for.” She paused and glanced fondly around the table. “I’m thankful for my family.” 

She looked to Han, who took the hint. “I’m thankful for learning from mistakes.” He looked at Ben, the only one that really understood what he truly meant. 

Ben went next. He paused as he thought about what he wanted to say. “I’m thankful for new beginnings.” He looked at Rey, and down at his son sleeping soundly and smiled. He took her hand in his and squeezed gently.

“I’m thankful to have things that I’m thankful for. That means there is good in my life.” Mara said as she grasped Luke’s hand as Ben had done to Rey.

“I’m thankful for books.” Jaina said simply, taking advantage of her mother's pause and causing everyone to laugh. 

Luke smiled, “I’m thankful for good health. And long may it continue.” 

“I’m thankful for Holidays.” Maz spoke up next. “It means we have something to celebrate.” 

“I’m thankful for food on our plates and a roof over our heads.” Rey said. She knew that in another life, she might not have been as lucky as she was, growing up with her grandfather, and then Maz and Chewie. 

Finally, Chewie spoke. “I’m thankful for good friends. Lang may yer lum reek!” He toasted, holding his glass up and taking a sip. Everyone looked around the table and copied. “Now.. Lets eat!”

 

* * *

 

 Rey paced up and down the hallway with the screaming child in her arms. He had been going for _hours_ and she was fast losing her cool and panic was setting in. 

_ Was something wrong with him?  _ She had retreated upstairs away from their relatives after a while to give them a break from the noise. Ben and her had since been taking it in turns to walk and talk with him, drive with him, attempt to feed and change him but nothing was settling the boy down. 

Kes had begun to become restless shortly after dinner finished. It was now the early evening. Everyone was relaxing after filling themselves to the brim with delicious food. Her pumpkin pie had gone down a treat as usual, with Luke asking for the recipe so he could make it at home. He, Mara and Jaina were staying at the Organa-Solo’s temporary empty house during the holiday while everyone was staying with Maz. They had left for the night a little while ago hoping for an early night.

Tears had begun to spill down the baby’s bright red cheeks as he continued to wail. Rey moved him from the crook of her arm to rest against her chest so she could hold one hand against his back when he began to arch it, in fear that she may drop him. She was close to crying herself when Ben decided it was time for him to take over and let her take a break. A stressed out parent would not help matters, she knew that. She wordlessly and gently handed Kes to Ben and decided to go downstairs and find their mothers. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to calm herself down.

She dabbed at the tears shining in her eyes in the mirror at the foot of the stairs before stepping into the kitchen. Maz and Leia looked up at her with concerned expressions and she sat down at the table with them. The tears that she had cleared away were recreated and she broke down. 

The women waited for her to compose herself - knowing she was only letting out the frustration that she couldn’t soothe her son - before they simply hugged her and rubbed her hand. It was only expected, after walking up and down a hallway for the better part of three hours with a hysterical infant. After a few moments she calmed down enough that they could speak.

“One look at my idiot brother’s face and this is what happens.” Leia sighed and shook her head. Rey let out a sob and smiled weakly.

“Does this happen often?” Maz asked and handed her a paper napkin.

“No. This is the fourth time since he was born?” she replied with a sniffle. “I didn’t think it was worth mentioning to you or to Amilyn. I’m his mum and I should be able to soothe my own son and I  _ can't.” _

“Rey, no one thinks that. Babies cry. Ben cried more than he was quiet, actually.” 

Maz hummed. “I remember.” she said simply. “I thought you would turn to day drinking.”

“And you wonder how I can be a senator when I had such a finicky newborn?” Leia raised an eyebrow at Maz before taking a sip of the wine in front of her. She turned back to Rey and asked “Do you think he has Colic?”

“I wondered. We did after the second time, but we looked it up and it said breastfed babies don't get it.” Rey replied.

“Oh heavens no.” Leia told her. “That’s not true. Ben was breastfed and he had it. I think even Jaina had it, too. Take him to see the doctor, dear. It could be something else, maybe wind or reflux. But they will know for sure.”

Rey nodded. She would have to wait until the Doctor’s Office opened on Monday but she could do that. Couldn’t she?

Ben walked into the kitchen behind them without the baby. He wasn’t even wearing his glasses or the black shirt he had on when they had parted half an hour beforehand. It was a common enough occurrence at home for Rey and their experienced mothers to know that Kes had most likely thrown up on him. 

“Maz, can I wash this?” he asked quietly, holding up the soiled shirt in his hand.

“Leave it with the laundry, my boy. I’ll wash it later,” she offered the obviously tired and frazzled father a kind smile as he kissed her on the cheek in thanks. He then went to put the shirt in the pile by the washing machine. 

It was then that Rey realised two things. One: The crying had stopped. Two: Who had the baby? 

“Ben.. Where’s Kes?” She asked wearily.

His eyes widened as he also noticed the sudden quietness. “Your father took him while I changed.” 

They went to find Chewie and instead of the silence they expected as they walked up the stairs, they heard soft singing that was oddly befitting a man of Chewie Kanata’s brash nature coming from the bedroom he shared with Maz.

They peaked around the door frame and found Chewie standing in front of their window, singing to the now silent baby in his arms. Rey recognised the tune as one he used to sing to her when she had nightmares as a child. 

_ When you grow up you'll go to sea,  _

_ Makin' pennies for your daddy and me,  _

_ Tae buy mair Coulter's Candy. _

Hearing Chewie sing the familiar tune made her heart soar. She loved that it had the same effect on her son as it had, and still had, on her. They couldn’t tell if Kes was asleep or just resting contently in the crook of his grandfather's arm as he sang. They chose to stand quietly and observe, not willing to disrupt and possibly upset the boy again. 

Rey leaned against Ben’s chest. The intense emotions of the day had made her very tired. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head as he so often did. He felt her sigh against him, causing him to tighten his grip in reassurance. 

As Chewie’s singing came to an end, he turned around to face the couple, a warm smile settled on his face and a sleeping baby in his arms. He passed the baby to Ben, and Rey hugged her father tightly, thanking him for helping them to calm him down. 

“I’m sorry for all the noise,” Rey told him guiltily. She felt like she had ruined Thanksgiving and was currently wondering whether Luke just made the excuse of an early night to get away from the noise. 

“Dinnae be ridiculous he’s a wee bairn, darlin’,” Chewie responded. He hugged her tightly again. “Ye must stop reading into things too much and putting blame on yer shoulders.” 

Her father had always been able to read her like a book. Other than Ben, he was the only one. She smiled weakly at him and turned to the sleeping baby in Ben's arms. He had truly tired himself out. Not keen on waking him, they decided that it was time to settle him down to bed. 

She stretched up and kissed Chewie on the cheek and they dismissed themselves to their room, promising to be back downstairs to spend time with them once they’d put him to bed. 

“Are you okay?” Ben asked as they got to their bedroom. He was eyeing her with concern.

“I’m fine, just tired,” she mumbled. “Long day, no naps and he’s never been quite so...” she trailed off.

“Shouty?” Ben offered weakly. 

She snorted at his elaborate choice of word. “Yes, Ben.  _ Shouty.”  _ Clearly his own brain had shorted during the meltdown of their son, too. 

“Honestly if he hadn’t spit up on you and down himself I would be considering just leaving him in the clothes he’s wearing,” she said as she undressed the boy as carefully and quietly as possible. 

She quickly stripped him and changed his diaper, while Ben retrieved a fresh set of clothes from the bag on the floor. When he was freshly dressed, they put him to bed, remembering to set up the baby monitors they brought with them. Then, went back to join their parents. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspire me!


	19. Six weeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's mouth dropped open. “Did he just?”
> 
> “I-I think he did.” Ben replied speechlessly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Sorry for the longer wait than usual, I've just started a new story so I've been bashing out chapters! I'm going to start updating twice a week for a little while, so make sure you mark those days down on your diary ;)
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful beta & friend Buni, you rock!
> 
> Ps. Enjoy the smut ;)

 

In the weeks that had passed since Thanksgiving, Rey felt like that semblance of the routine they had managed to construct was turned onto its head again as they scrambled to build anew around their growing son. Listening to Maz and Leia’s advice, she took Kes to see the doctor a few days after they returned home from their Thanksgiving holiday. 

The GP checked Kes over thoroughly and agreed with their suspicion that he had colic. However there was nothing they could do to really stop it, only manage it with various positional changes or massages until he grew out of it at 3 or so months old. Kes was a healthy, growing baby that was following all of the norms he would have hoped, and all they could do was wait. 

While they were thrilled that there was not anything wrong with their son, the idea of him having more relentless crying fits during the next few months worried them, especially now that Rey’s father was not around them to help. 

Despite their concerns, their boy had only had one more such event, and after an hour promptly fell asleep after a warm bath, much to his parents relief.  

Kes was now 6 weeks old and nearly 4 pounds heavier and 2 inches longer than he was when they brought him home, which made sense when Rey really thought about how much time he spent feeding. The clothes he had initially fit into had now been put aside as he moved into a bigger size. The new routine they had created was built around activities, helping their son continue to thrive as he got bigger. 

Which brought them to now, as Rey raced around the house trying to get her things together in time for her 6 week postpartum checkup with Amilyn. While not in a hurry to have everyone in the medical centre glancing at her genital area, it would be nice to see her again. She had quickly grown fond of the purple haired woman during her pregnancy. 

“Ben, do you need anything before I go?” she called as she checked her pocket for her phone.  

Ben had elected to stay home with the baby while she went to her check up, opting to give her the privacy if she wanted it. It would also be her first trip out of the house without the baby, since before he was born and he wanted to make sure the opportunity was there if she wanted it.

“Uhhh…” Ben thought, as he looked up from his book and down at the sleeping infant in the bouncer chair in front of him. He looked at her and smirked wickedly. “Yes.”

“What?” Rey asked as she applied a layer of lipstick in the mirror opposite their lounge door. She met his eyes in the reflection and rolled her eyes at his filthy humour, however tempting it was. “Later. Maybe.” 

Rey sighed internally. Amilyn really needed to clear her for sex. She was fairly sure they hadn’t gone this long without intercourse since they were teenagers. It was beginning to get harder and harder to stop themselves whenever things got even slightly passionate. Weren’t women supposed to have less of a sex drive after birth? Because apparently her body had not got that memo. She was certain that the thought had not even crossed Bens mind when it came to her appointment, he was more concerned about her welfare.

He laughed and looked down at his book. “No, I don’t think I need anything. There’s milk in the fridge?”

“Yup, I took it out of the freezer this morning. It should have thawed by now.” she replied as she shrugged her coat on. “But he fed an hour ago so he should be okay. You’ll call me if anything happens right?” she asked nervously. She had been trying to persuade Ben to go with her.

His eyes softened as he looked back at her. “Rey, what could possibly happen?”

“Don’t ask me that question or I will tell you every horrid thing that goes through my mind every minute that i’m not with him,” Rey told him heatedly. 

He watched and almost felt her shudder as the words left her mouth and made the unconscious decision to get to his feet and walk over to her. “Sweetheart, Kes is fine. He’s right here with his father.” 

He could take offense to what Rey said, sure he could, but he knew that was not what she meant. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to him. And if it would make you happier, I won’t take my eyes off of him for a second until the second you walk in through the door.”

Rey stood staring blankly at his chest and didn’t meet his eyes as he spoke. So he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. Ben felt her melt into him as she wound her arms around his neck silently.  

She breathed in his familiar scent of sandalwood and the smell of cinnamon on his breath as he kissed her forehead. Ben let her go and smiled warmly 

in reassurance. “It will be fine, Rey. I promise.” 

She nodded and tentatively smiled. “I won’t be long.” Rey stretched up to kiss him goodbye, and left before she could stop herself again. 

 

* * *

 

“How have things been, Rey?” Amilyn asked her kindly as she took a seat at her desk. Rey felt more like she was visiting an old friend instead of her OB/GYN.

“Things have been good,” Rey replied thoughtfully. “Hard, but good. I think we’re finally getting into the swing of things.” It was not a lie, they had successfully managed to create a new routine that they were slowly adjusting to. 

“How is Kes?” 

Rey couldn’t help but smile. Anytime her boy was mentioned brought a warmth to her that she had never felt before.  

“He’s wonderful. He’s gained almost 4 pounds and his doctor is happy with his progress. He’s quite colicky which can be difficult, but we’re working through it. Today is the first time that I have been away from him since he was born, and i’m finding it hard.” 

She bit her lip and sighed. “I’m scared. Even though he’s with Ben, I’m scared something will happen.

Amilyn smiled at Rey’s gushing reaction as she spoke about her son. It was obvious from the very beginning that Rey would be a fantastic mother. Amilyn was grateful that Rey was honest with her about how she was feeling.

“That is perfectly normal maternal behaviour. It’s understandable that you feel scared to be away from him. After all, he is part of you. But you know deep down that Kes will be safe with Ben.” 

Rey nodded. She knew he was safe with Ben. But even Ben couldn’t stop the possibility of the baby stopping breathing, or choking. She knew these were irrational fears but that didn’t mean she could help them. 

They carried on through the appointment, Amilyn asked her questions about her post birth health and how she was feeling emotionally as well as physically. Rey was honest about her fears, despite feeling more and more confident as time goes by. The older woman listened intently and offered her advice. 

“Can I examine you?” Amilyn asked as she finished writing. “It’s just so I can check everything is back to its pre birth condition.”

Rey nodded and got up from her seat, slipped her shoes off and moved over to the other side of the room and got up onto the bed, slipping her leggings and underwear off and settling into the position she had grown to know well in the last 10 months. 

Amilyn felt around her stomach as they continued chatting about her new role as a mother. Rey discovered that Leia had been keeping Amilyn up to date with the baby by sending her the odd photo of him. 

As she was examined internally, Rey laid back and her thoughts drifted over to her husband and son, wondering what they were doing. It was a rather odd thing to think about, given the position she was currently in. However, she couldn’t help it. 

Amilyn stripped off her gloves and smiled reassuringly. “I’m satisfied. Everything has almost gone back to normal. You can get redressed now, dear.”

After redressing, Rey shuffled back to her chair as Amilyn filled out her paperwork. She quickly checked her phone, seeing no text from Ben and breathing a sigh. She was not sure if she was relieved or saddened by the lack of communication.

“Have you been sexually active since the birth, Rey?” Amilyn asked her.

“W-what? Oh uh..” Her cheeks reddened, the idea of talking to a family friend about her sex life made her feel strange, however Amilyn had already seen every part of her, so what was the point in being shy? “No, we haven’t. We didn’t know if it was safe or not.”

Amilyn nodded. “It’s perfectly safe. I think you have healed enough that the infection risk is non existent.” She paused as her eye wandered over the younger woman. “Have you thought about your birth control? Are you looking to have more children?” 

Rey nodded, “We would like another in the future, but not anytime soon. As for birth control I assumed I would go back onto the combination pill I took before we started trying, so I didn’t really think too much about it.”

Amilyn hummed as she considered. “I wouldn’t suggest taking that while you are breastfeeding. There are studies that show pills containing estrogen can lower your milk supply.”

_ As if I don’t have enough supply to feed an army as it is. _

“What are my other options?” Rey asked. She knew about various methods, but whether they were safe for her son or not was a completely different matter.

“Well, there’s the depo injection that you have every three months, an implant that goes into your upper arm or the IUD.” Holdo pauses, thinking carefully as she considered. “There is also a patch that is placed on your arm.” 

Rey thought for a moment and looked through the leaflet Amilyn gave her. The injection seemed the least invasive and she wouldn’t need to worry about forgetting a pill after so long without taking them. And it  _ would  _ be effective almost immediately. She blushed at the thought. 

“Could I try the injection?” she asked, hoping the blush that rose to her cheeks was not as obvious as it felt. “I’m worried I’ll forget to take a pill after so long without it, and that’s not even taking into consideration I have someone else to think about now too.” 

Amilyn either took no notice of the red tint to her cheeks, or chose to simply say nothing as she talked Rey through her choice and prepared the injection and 20 minutes later Rey left the centre armed with many leaflets and a box of condoms for good measure.  

She hurried home to her boys, picking up lunch for herself and Ben on the way. As she opened the door she was met with silence. 

“Ben?” she called. “I’m home!” She quickly hid the condoms she had been given and went into the kitchen and put their lunch on the table. 

“In the front room, sweetheart,” he called back. 

She poked her head around the door frame to find them both on the floor. Kes was lying on his play mat moving his arms as Ben stretched out on his side, waving a colourful toy above him.  

She smiled as she knelt down to join them. “Hi baby, how’s my little man been?” she cooed as she stroked his tiny cheeks.

“As good as gold, we’ve had some tummy time. Though he wouldn’t take the bottle. I wasn’t sure if it was because he wasn’t hungry or because he didn’t like the nipple,” Ben told her. 

“Maybe a little of both?” she said thoughtfully. “He seems happy enough at the moment.” She turned back to the baby. “Don’t you?” She tickled his belly as she fussed over him, kissing his cheeks and forehead.

As they fussed, a small dimple appeared on each of his cheeks as he drew his mouth up into a smile, letting it go a moment later.

Rey's mouth dropped open. “Did he just?” 

“I-I think he did.” Ben replied speechlessly. “Can you do that again, Kezzy? Come on, smile for daddy.”

Rey copied her movements from before, but to her disappointment he simply wiggled and stared back at her. He poked his tongue out, Rey would consider almost mockingly if she didn’t know the signs of his hunger already. 

“How do people catch these things on camera?” Ben sighed as Rey scooped the baby up, preparing to feed him.

She shrugged in response as she struggled to unbutton her blouse while holding Kes. “Blood sacrifice to the gods?”  

Ben grinned at her comment and moved forward to help her and unbuttoned her blouse for her. She smiled as she unclipped the nursing bra she was wearing and started to feed the boy.

“There’s lunch on the kitchen table if you want it, I passed the deli on the way home,” she told him and settled back into the couch and closed her eyes.

“I’ll wait until you’re finished,” Ben told her and went into the kitchen to put the sandwiches Rey brought home onto some plates and cut up some fruit.

He came back into the lounge to find Rey balancing the baby on her lap. She then buttoned up her shirt before leaning him against her shoulder and rubbing his back gently. 

 

* * *

 

“Hey sweetheart, is he down?” Ben asked as he stood in the kitchen making dinner that evening, listening to Rey’s light footfall on the stairs. 

She said nothing as she crept towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands going straight to his belt. 

“Rey..” Ben trailed off as he put down the knife was holding and placed his hands over her own, halting her movements. “What are you doing?”  

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Undoing your belt. Help a girl out here, will you?”  

Ben apparently needed little convincing, turning them so Rey had her back against the counter. “Oh?” he murmured as he released her hands and allowed her to carry on. She got as far as removing his shirt and undoing the button on his jeans before he stopped her once again.

Ben turned her once again and this time backed her towards the wall of their kitchen. He lifted her up and pushed himself flush against her, holding her there. The only thing that could be heard was the shuddering breaths she was taking. He looked up, meeting her heated gaze and pressed his forehead to hers.

He slid his hand up under the t-shirt of his she was wearing to push down her underwear, finding her completely bare underneath. “You planned this?” he asked, a smirk ghosting across his lips and the devil in his eyes.

Rey grinned slyly as she pressed hot kisses into his neck in a line up towards his ear. “Prove it,” she whispered.  

Ben captured her lips in a passionate kiss, taking advantage of her sudden intake of breath to deepen it. 

“Should we be doing this?” he asked in between kisses. His restraint was waning, and if they had to stop then it would have to be now.

“Amilyn signed me off, gave me a birth control shot. I’m good,” she whispered against his lips.  

She could feel the slick building in between her legs; it was growing uncomfortable as she tried to rub her thighs together as best she could, but had little success thanks to the position they were in.

Ben took a moment to think as he held her in place. He swiftly moved them over to the table that had been pushed to the edge of the room and sat her on it, pushing everything away from them. He pulled her to the edge and, pulling  his jeans and boxers down, he released his straining erection. He stroked himself leisurely and took the time to look back at her face, double checking she was absolutely sure. 

He coated himself in her slick and pushed in. 

Rey's eyes rolled back and her eyelids fluttered shut as they both moaned. They  _ had  _ done things in the weeks leading up to and after the birth, but nothing could ever be compared to this. 

They both breathed deeply as Ben gave Rey time to adjust, not knowing how her post birth body would cope with the intrusion. 

Registering her nod, he began to thrust into her slowly, groaning as he leaned his head against her shoulder.  _ Oh how he had missed this.  _

“Ben,” she mumbled as she arched her back hoping to coax him deeper. “Harder, please..”

“But..”  _ I don’t want to hurt you. _

She knew what she had to do to coax him. 

“I’m not carrying precious cargo and I’m not damaged. Fuck me like you mean it or I’ll finish it myself!” she snapped in frustration. She loved their sex life, and she loved how gentle Ben could be. But god, did she miss how rough he could be too. 

If  _ she wants it rough, she’ll get it.  _ He growled and snapped his hips, burying himself to the hilt inside her, before pulling out and slamming back in harder and faster with every thrust making her yelp in surprise that gave way to a filthy moan.

He hitched her leg up against his hip and continued to thrust as he pushed them both towards their peaks, every so often taking her lips in a searing kiss. 

The only sound that could be heard around them was the slapping of skin meeting skin in between grunts and moans of pleasure and the table jolted against the wall. 

The iron grip Ben had on Rey's thigh and hip were sure to leave bruises, it wouldn’t be the first time and Rey would not be complaining. He hit the rugged spot inside her twice more before she came, trying her hardest to muffle her screams in his shoulder. Ben was one thrust behind Rey before spilling inside her with a groan.  

He lifted his head from her shoulder as they both caught their breath. She smile softly and wiped the sweat drenched hair from his brow and kissed him gently. 

“We should probably clean this if we’re going to eat here,” she told him with a blush, as if she hadn’t just demanded he fucked her hard.

Ben grinned and pulled up his boxers and jeans and stepped back. 

Rey jumped down off of the table and pulled her shirt down, excusing herself to clean up and check on the sleeping infant in the room above them while Ben resumed cooking.  

 

* * *

 

Rey felt significantly calmer as they laid in each other’s arms that night, naked as they day they were born. They had managed two more considerably slower and passionate rounds of love making before finally succumbing to sleep. She woke up cradled in his arms, his hand splayed across her bare stomach. 

Rey rolled over to check the time and decided to get up and feed Kes before he woke up. His feeding would only be a little earlier, and that meant he wouldn’t wake Ben either. Kes  _ should  _ sleep until 7am after the feed. 

She gently got up from the bed and pulled on her dressing gown, before she left the bedroom and headed to the nursery.   
  



End file.
